Facilitating Digital Trade for Inclusive Growth: Key Issues in Promoting Digital Trade in APEC

The internet and digital revolution, like the industrial revolution, has radically changed the world. Without being exhaustive, this paper surveys some of the key issues in the digital economy. The topic is still relatively new and understanding the internet ecosystem that supports it requires a deeper dive. Nevertheless, the paper attempts to highlight emerging policy issues which can undermine the usefulness of the internet and set back its growth, and hence warrant attention especially from APEC policymakers. The paper also discusses the opportunities and challenges that digital trade presents, as well as the enablers of growth of the digital economy. These enablers, ultimately, can be summarized in one: infrastructure, which can be physical, human, and regulatory. The interplay of the three is useful for economies, especially developing ones, which aspire to take advantage of the economic promises from the digital revolution.