Facilitation 2.0: E-Commerce and Trade in the Digital Age

Abstract

With a growing number of transactions available on the internet, the interconnection between regulatory issues creates unprecedented complexities for both transaction subjects and policymakers. Through the lens of Facilitation 2.0, it is possible to identify and target the development of simplified and harmonised procedures to facilitate cross-border exchanges of goods, services, investment, and knowledge. This paper attempts to conceptually address some of the most important aspects of international regulation by looking at the interaction of different regulatory frameworks, analysing provisions of a representative universe of preferential trade agreements, and commenting on the relationship between sustainability and e-commerce development.

Keywords: e-commerce, regional trade agreements, trade facilitation

JEL Classification: F13, F15, F61, F68, K21, K24