Partner
Attorney at Law (Germany)
EU-Singapore Digital Trade Agreement signed May 2025
- From the Newsletter "ASEAN Newsflash", Issue Q2 2025
In May 2025, the European Union and Singapore signed the EU-Singapore Digital Trade Agreement (EUSDTA), a standalone agreement aimed at facilitating digital trade between the two parties. The DTA builds on the existing EU–Singapore Free Trade Agreement and reflects a shared commitment to high standards in the digital economy.
The agreement seeks to:
- Facilitate trusted cross-border data flows,
- Enhance consumer protection in the online environment,
- Provide legal certainty for businesses engaged in digital trade,
- Eliminate unjustified barriers such as data localisation requirements,
- Address key digital trade areas, including:
- Protection of privacy and personal data,
- Prohibition of customs duties on electronic transmissions,
- Use of electronic contracts and electronic authentication,
- Regulation of unsolicited direct marketing communications,
- Promotion of open government data, and
- Cooperation on digital trade regulation and standards.
The agreement will prevent protectionist practices and policies by prohibiting unjustified data localisation measures. This will help to ensure trusted cross-border data flows and the protection of source code against unauthorised disclosure.
The EU and Singapore will now follow their respective procedures to work towards ratification of the EU-Singapore Digital Trade Agreement.