The age of data: Regulation and enforcement in the expanding digital economy
Published 01 July 2025
“Data and digital economy are taking center stage in global trade” says Gareth Tan, senior associate director at APCO, and Chuin Wei Yap, international trade research program director at the Hinrich Foundation.
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Data is now considered a strategic, valuable asset, especially by developing countries, fueling digital economy growth worldwide. The WTO’s e-commerce moratorium on customs duties for digital transmissions may expire in 2026, potentially allowing tariffs on streaming media, software, and other digital services. Ending the moratorium could disproportionately burden small businesses with compliance costs, while large firms might manage due to greater resources. The ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) may serve as a regional safeguard, helping smaller economies push back against digital protectionism and assert collective digital trade power. Gareth Tan and Chuin Wei Yap highlight that Asia faces a dilemma between regulating data/AI to protect sovereignty and avoiding overregulation that could stifle tech-driven economic growth.
About the NPF International Trade Fellowship 2025
The National Press Foundation holds an annual International Trade Fellowship workshop for journalists, sponsored by the Hinrich Foundation. This year, the Foundations welcomed 25 Asia-based journalists at the Hinrich Foundation’s office in Singapore. The sessions, held in June, focused on a range of themes including global trade policy, the age of data, the macroeconomic outlook, climate change, Asia’s place in a fast-changing world order and more.
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