The following statement is attributed to Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Technology Association (CTA), regarding President Trump’s notification to Congress of plans to update the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA):
“We’re encouraged by the open dialogue between the Trump and Peña Nieto administrations, working toward a modernized trade agreement that recognizes the technology sector’s critical role in American economic growth. At the same time, we are concerned that excluding Canada from a final agreement will limit our export opportunities and hurt the U.S. economy.
"Nevertheless, to maintain America’s innovation leadership a renegotiated agreement must: reduce barriers to digital trade by eliminating tariffs on content such as e-books and software; protect intellectual property rights and innovation with a balanced copyright approach including fair use and intermediary liability protections; eliminate technical barriers to trade; and recognize parity in rules of origin.
“The technology sector is critical to America’s economic growth and global leadership. We urge the administration to focus on these key innovation priorities as negotiations evolve.”