Joint declaration between Switzerland and the USA on e-commerce
Berne, 11.10.2008 - Washington, 10.10.2008 – On 10 October, Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard and the US Trade Representative Susan Schwab signed a joint declaration on e-commerce in Washington, D.C. This declaration envisages cooperation between Switzerland and the USA with the view to improve trade conditions for e-commerce.
In this joint declaration, Switzerland and the USA state their intention to facilitate and encourage electronic commerce, prevent discriminatory measures, guarantee users a higher degree of legal certainty and establish the necessary climate of trust and confidence for electronic transactions. The two parties declare their desire to work together in this regard within the World Trade Organisation and other relevant international organisations, as well as to continue their cooperation at the bilateral level.
Today, e-commerce is an everyday feature of commercial activity. Businesses increasingly use it as a more efficient means of conducting purchase and sales transactions, and private individuals are tending to order more goods and services online. The availability of digital products and services delivered electronically is constantly growing both nationally and internationally. In this context Switzerland and the USA aim to work together to strengthen the multilateral trading system.
This joint declaration on e-commerce was developed under the Swiss-US Cooperation Forum on Trade and Investment.
Address for enquiries
Christophe Hans, Head of Information FDEA, Tel. +41 79 705 14 57
Christian Etter, Ambassador, Delegate of the Federal Council for Trade Agreements, Foreign Economic Affairs Directorate, SECO, Tel. 031 324 08 62
Publisher
Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research
http://www.wbf.admin.ch
