There is always truth in jest, as at the outset of this session when the question is asked who is the best authority in the Digital Trade arena, and host Susan Aaronson's immediate joke response is "Me!". She now heads the newly established Digital Trade and Data Governance Hub <https://datagovhub.org/> at GWU, and this is one of their first events. ISOC Live posted: "On October 31, 2019 the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University hosted "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Digital Trade, but Didn’t Get a Chance to Ask." Data has become the most traded good and/or service across bo" [image: livestream] <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/digitaltrade>On *October 31, 2019* the *Elliot School of International Affairs <https://elliott.gwu.edu>* at George Washington University hosted "*Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Digital Trade, but Didn’t Get a Chance to Ask. <https://priv.sh/9eSexyO>*" Data has become the most traded good and/or service across borders. The American economy is increasingly reliant on digital trade. But the US does not yet participate in any explicit binding digital trade agreements. Meanwhile, many countries have adopted policies that inhibit digital trade, including requirements that data be stored locally or restricting services provided by foreign firms. Such policies not only affect U.S. Internet and technology firms, but the users and small businesses that rely on an open digital environment. There have been lots of panels on digital trade, but this discussion provides an opportunity to better understand why data is governed in trade agreements, what are the barriers to digital trade, and how digital trade rules may affect important policy objectives such as internet openness, the gig economy, innovation, and national security. PANELISTS: *Matthew Reisman*, Microsoft; Meredith Broadbent, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); *Rachael Stelly*, Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA); *Burcu Kilic*, Public Citizen. MODERATOR: *Susan Aaronson*, Professor, GWU and Director, Digital Trade and Data Governance Hub. This event is co-sponsored by the* Institute for International Economic Policy <https://iiep.gwu.edu/>* (IIEP at GWU), the *Digital Trade and Data Governance Hub <https://datagovhub.org/>*, and the *Internet Society DC <https://isoc-dc.org>* (ISOC-DC), in conjunction with the *Computer and Communications Industry Association <https://www.ccianet.org/>* (CCIA). It was webcast live on the *Internet Society Livestream Channel <https://livestream.com/internetsociety>* (AI captions). *VIEW ON LIVESTREAM: https://livestream.com/internetsociety/digitaltrade <https://livestream.com/internetsociety/digitaltrade>* *TWITTER: @IIEPGW #digitaltrade https://priv.sh/XM0Aq6S <https://priv.sh/XM0Aq6S>* *Permalink*: https://isoc.live/11474/ -