The Australian Services Roundtable has joined a number of international digital advocacy bodies to raise concerns about China’s draft Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL). As the statement details, “The draft PIPL (Article 40) requires critical information infrastructure operators and personal information processors transferring ‘personal information reaching quantities provided by the State Cybersecurity and Information Department’ […]
ASR Connect
New T20 Policy Brief from ASR Director Jane Drake-Brockman on Digital Trade
ASR Director Jane Drake-Brockman is lead author of a new T20 Policy Brief: “Impact of Digital Technologies and the Fourth Industrial Revolution on Trade in Services.” From the abstract: Digital technologies are cutting trade costs for services, turning more services from non-tradables into tradables, and putting trade in services on a stronger relative growth path than […]
Video: ASR Moderates Digital Trade Session at Geneva Trade Week
Australian Services Roundtable Director Jane Drake-Brockman moderated the opening session in the Digital Trade stream at Geneva Trade Week on Monday 28 September, Session 3: Digital Trade and Services Trade – Are They Increasingly the Same? Trade is increasingly going digital, blurring the distinctions between goods and services, commerce and e-commerce. Different regions of the world are […]
New Data Links Outward Investment in Services to Australia’s Services Export Performance
By Professor Jane Drake-Brockman Measurement of trade in services is notoriously difficult. The official statistics on imports and exports contained in the Balance of Payments (BOP) are well known, for example, as measuring poorly at best only three of the four modes of international supply of services. As defined in the WTO, the four modes of […]
ASR Calls For Delay To India’s New Digital Tax
29 April 2020: ASR joined a global coalition of nine business associations in a letter to India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, seeking delay in implementation of the recent expansion of India’s Equalisation Levy, in order to hold formal stakeholder consultations on the measure and allow for ongoing OECD negotiations to continue. The letter notes that the limited timeframe within which India’s expansive new levy was approved and took effect allowed for […]
ASR 20th Anniversary Celebrations
Dear Friends, Alumni and Colleagues of the Australian Services roundtable. This year we mark 20 years of advocacy for the Australian services sector and would like you to join us for a drink to celebrate. ASR member IBM has kindly offered to host alumni, members and friends for a cocktail reception in Sydney on December […]
New Publication – Potential Benefits of an Australia-EU Free Trade Agreement: Key Issues and Options
Since June 2018 Australia and the European Union have been negotiating a Free Trade Agreement. Potential Benefits of an Australia-EU Free Trade Agreement: Key Issues and Options, edited by ASR President Jane Drake-Brockman, offers insights from recognised experts in the field, from Australia, Europe and Asia, on the potential economic benefits to be reaped from greater economic openness. […]
ASR Connect July
July was a busy month for ASR, which makes for a comprehensive ASR Connect. OECD Report Our current major project, preparations for the release of the OECD’s study on the competitiveness of Australian services, is progressing well. We continue to work closely with Trade, Tourism and Investment Minister Steven Ciobo’s office and the Department of […]
June 2018 Update
June was a productive month for ASR and there is more to come in July. Here is a short update of the last month’s highlights. New Publication on Services and Global Value Chains Amid escalating trade tensions, threats of “trade war” and new tariffs from the administration of US President Donald Trump, the globalised nature of […]
May 2018, Members Message from the Chairman
Three months have passed since our former CEO departed the organisation. This message is to update all members on recent ASR activities and establish a direct email channel to avoid any further hiatus in communications, pending appointment of a new CEO in the new Financial Year. The Board has been very active on behalf of […]