Trade Policy

Digital trade and artificial intelligence are reconfiguring the global economy. We examine how trade policy can shape the trajectory of these domains – and engage on designing trade rules that align their transformative potential for sustainable prosperity.

DIGITAL TRADE IN DEVELOPING ECONOMIES

Across the developing world, the governance of digital trade is becoming decisive for economic development and integration into the global economy. Many developing countries are currently building the rules, standards and institutions that will shape their digital markets. Yet these economies do not set the terms alone: the regulatory models advanced by major trading partners, in areas such as data protection, digital trade and platform regulation, increasingly shape their policy choices and market access. The interaction between home-grown governance and externally driven norms will be critical for these emerging digital economies.

Africa illustrates the stakes. The African Union envisages a single African digital market by 2030 – an objective whose success will depend heavily on how technology is governed across the continent, with regional initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) playing a central role.

In response, CEP seeks to contribute to regional digital governance frameworks in developing countries, with a focus on Africa and the AfCFTA Digital Protocol. We also work to bring the spillover effects of external digital policies into sharper view – in particular from the EU’s digital regulatory framework.

Examples of related activities include a webinar series on E-commerce, Trade and Development: Policy Frameworks in Africa as well as a book on Digital Trade in Africa.

ADVANCING AI REGULATION

The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence presents both transformative opportunities and significant regulatory challenges at national, regional, and global levels. As digital technologies reshape economies and societies, effective and coordinated regulatory frameworks are essential to ensure accountability, facilitate interoperability, and foster public trust in AI systems. Regulatory approaches to AI governance must balance innovation with safeguards, while addressing fragmentation across jurisdictions that can raise compliance costs and hinder cross-border deployment.

CEP aims to support the development, alignment, and implementation of AI regulatory frameworks that are coherent, interoperable, and responsive to societal and ethical risks.

This is a new workstream we are seeking to build up. By engaging with governments, regulators, international organizations, industry, and civil society, we aim to contribute to regulatory approaches that are both enforceable and adaptable to rapid technological change. We will place particular emphasis on bridging gaps between emerging national and regional AI regulations and international coordination efforts, with technical standards serving as complementary tools to support regulatory objectives.

Examples of first steps in this domain include work on the implications of AI for technical standards in services trade, and a review of the UN AI Advisory Body interim report.