The Singapore Economic Roundtable (SER) is a biannual meeting of private-sector economists, business leaders and policymakers to discuss major cyclical issues facing the domestic economy and their implications for monetary and fiscal policy. Each edition includes a Special Session on a contemporary topic.
The first session will examine the cyclical economic outlook for Singapore, with background provided by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and responses from private sector economists.
The special session for the 44th SER will focus on digital trade — international transactions that are digitally ordered, facilitated by digital platforms or delivered over ICT networks. Beyond e-commerce, digital trade increasingly shapes how services are produced and scaled, and how global value chains are organised. Central to this shift are cross-border data flows, which act as a production input, an enabler of innovation and, in some critical contexts, a regulated asset. Other important matters include customs duties on digital goods and services and the non-discriminatory treatment of such.
Singapore is a global hub for digital trade and has established digital economy agreements with other countries to create common rules for digital transactions, data flows, and consumer protection. These agreements aim to lower costs, increase efficiency and expand market access. Recent examples include agreements with the European Union and Korea, which provide legal certainty and facilitate cross-border digital trade.
For Singapore and ASEAN, digital trade presents both a strategic opportunity and a test of regional integration. ASEAN economies differ widely in digital readiness and regulatory capacity, while firms — from MNCs running complex supply chains to SMEs expanding via platforms — seek faster, cheaper and more predictable cross-border processes amid evolving global rules influenced by cybersecurity risks, AI adoption and data governance competition.
The special session will explore how stakeholders can capture digital trade gains while avoiding fragmentation; advancing towards a more coherent environment through digital economy agreements and digital economy framework discussions; and practical cooperation on interoperable trade infrastructure, such as single windows, e-invoicing, electronic transferable records and trusted digital identity.
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