WORLD · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
U.S. Trade Agreements Threaten Equitable Internet Access in Global South
WHY IT MATTERS
The agreements threaten to exacerbate digital divides and limit economic growth in low-income nations, where internet penetration is already low. The U.S. agreements could also undermine the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Digital Compact, which aim to reduce digital divides and promote equitable access to the internet.
What happened
The U. S. has signed reciprocal trade agreements (ARTs) with 10 countries, including Malaysia, Cambodia, and Indonesia, which could limit network rollout and development in these nations.
The agreements require signatory countries to refrain from using ICT suppliers that may compromise security, safeguards, and intellectual property. This provision gives the U. S.
power to exclude Chinese ICT suppliers, such as Huawei and ZTE, from these countries. This could significantly limit digital connectivity, increase digital divides, and reduce economic growth in low-income nations with significant digital divides.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Trump’s ‘Agreements on Reciprocal Trade’ (ARTs) threaten equitable access to the internet in Global South
Global Voices · EngageMedia · Creative Commons Attribution 3.0; attribution, author and link required
CORRECTIONS & UPDATES
- Revision 1 · Initial ingestion · Oct 9, 2026, 7:30 PM
- Revision 2 · Source update detected · Oct 9, 2026, 7:30 PM