WSJ: U.S. Pushes for Establishment of Global Trade Rules in the AI Era, Focusing on Data Flow and Source Code Protection Competition

BlockBeats News, July 22nd. According to WSJ, in addition to the tariff policy, the U.S. Trump administration is advancing a longer-term strategic layout, aiming to establish a new generation of global trade rules around cross-border data flows, cloud computing, software, and artificial intelligence through agreements with key trading partners.

The report states that currently 43 jurisdictions worldwide have implemented 146 digital trade barriers, including digital services taxes, data localization requirements, restrictions on cross-border data flows, and demands for companies to surrender source code, technology, and proprietary business data. The U.S. believes that these rules are undermining the competitiveness of its domestic tech companies and digital economy.

Recent agreements between the U.S. and countries such as Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia have incorporated terms that ban forced technology transfers, ensure the free flow of cross-border data, prohibit governments from requiring companies to submit source code, and maintain duty-free electronic transmissions, setting the initial framework for digital trade rules in the AI era. Analysts believe that the future international rule competition around data governance, AI regulation, and digital trade standards will be a crucial aspect of global economic gamesmanship.