The role of digital innovation in global trade

On Thursday, 3 November, Roger Coelho, Senior Policy Director, AmCham EU, moderated a panel on digital trade at Chatham House in London. The ‘harnessing the power of digital trade’ panel explored how digital trade agreements and international cooperation can become tools for integrating emerging technologies in the global economy.

News
8 Nov 2022
Digital, Trade
The role of digital innovation in global trade

The speakers described their concerns about the current digital regulatory environment – such as fragmentation and data localisation – and discussed strategies for overcoming recent trends towards digital protectionism. 

The panellists included: 

  • Rhys Bowen, International Director, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, United Kingdom 

  • Mary Elizabeth Chelliah, Principal Trade Specialist, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore  

  • Ben Digby, Head of Global Trade Policy, HSBC 

  • Minako Morita-Jaeger, Senior Research Fellow in International Trade, Department of Economics, UK Trade Policy Observatory, University of Sussex 

The panel was part of Chatham House’s 2022 Global Trade Conference, which featured discussions on the effects of the green agenda on global trade and the future of supply chains. In times of uncertainty and instability, it is essential to promote constructive dialogue across all sectors and governments. 

Related items

Position Paper
16 Oct 2026

Export controls fit for today's economy

The Dual-Use Regulation gives Europe a common framework for economic security, but divergent national implementation is weakening it. The same transaction can be assessed differently depending on the Member State, with guidance on cloud and software-as-a-service transfers remains unclear. Licensing processes, meanwhile, still assume a physical consignment rather than digital workflows, which sits poorly with how integrated global businesses operate. Companies bear the added cost and legal uncertainty, while the security benefit is limited. A single EU-wide approach to intangible transfers and closer alignment with the US and UK would make controls more predictable and let authorities focus on genuine risks. Read how the revision of the Dual-Use Regulation can deliver a harmonised and future-proof framework for Europe.

Trade
Customs and trade facilitation
Read more
Read more about Export controls fit for today's economy
News
3 Sep 2026

Engaging with the Mexican Ambassador on stronger trade ties

On Wednesday, 2 September 2026, Malte Lohan, CEO, AmCham EU met with Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, Mexican Ambassador to the European Union, Belgium and Luxembourg, for an introductory meeting to exchange views on the transatlantic business relationship. Discussions focused on opportunities to deepen EU–Mexico economic ties following the signature of the Modernised Global Agreement and interim trade agreement earlier this year. AmCham EU looks forward to continued engagement with Ambassador Moctezuma and to supporting closer EU–Mexico economic cooperation.

Read more about Engaging with the Mexican Ambassador on stronger trade ties
News
7 Jul 2026

Branching out with AI

Meta’s open-source Canopy Height Maps helped the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre improve its 2020 Global Forest Cover map, demonstrating how artificial intelligence can strengthen Europe’s ability to monitor forests and advance climate and biodiversity goals. Developed with the World Resources Institute, the maps use Meta’s DINO self-supervised computer vision model to estimate tree height from satellite imagery. This helped researchers apply the five-metre threshold used in many international forest definitions and better distinguish forests from other tree-covered land, including agricultural tree crops. The resulting product, available through the EU Forest Observatory, provides one of the most comprehensive open views of global forest cover. Read more on Invested in Europe.

Digital
Read more
Read more about Branching out with AI