THE RECONFIGURATION OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE LAW IN THE DIGITAL AGE: A LITERATURE REVIEW ON CROSS-BORDER E-COMMERCE REGULATION AND DATA SOVEREIGNTY CHALLENGES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20519337Keywords:
cross-border e-commerce, data sovereignty, legal harmonisation, digital trade, GDPR regulations, Personal Data Protection Act, data localisation, free flow of data, UNCITRAL Model Law, ASEAN digital economyAbstract
The digital age has revolutionised international trade law through the expansion of cross-border e-commerce, which demands a reconfiguration of global regulations, whilst challenges regarding data sovereignty create a fundamental conflict between the free flow of data and national control. This literature review analyses the dynamics of legal harmonisation through the WTO E-commerce Initiative, the UNCITRAL Model Law, the ASEAN Agreement on Electronic Commerce (Law No. 4/2021), as well as a comparison of the European GDPR-DSA regulations, the US sectoral approach, and Indonesia’s Personal Data Protection Law, identifying gaps in consumer protection, electronic contracts, digital taxation, and ODR dispute resolution. Key findings underscore the need for a hybrid approach combining global minimum standards with national flexibility, particularly for developing countries facing big tech dominance and regulatory fragmentation, with recommendations to strengthen the ASEAN Data Adequacy Framework and sovereign cloud infrastructure to safeguard information sovereignty amidst the liberalisation of digital trade.
Downloads
References
Drexl, J., Hennemann, M., Boshe, P., & Wiedemann, K. (2025). Comparative Data Law: The Munich Global Data Law Conference. Springer Nature.
Eliyah, E., & Aslan, A. (2025). STAKE’S EVALUATION MODEL: METODE PENELITIAN. Prosiding Seminar Nasional Indonesia, 3(2), Article 2.
Girard, T., & Wilhelm, A. (2025). Local Data Policies, Global Data Politics: How Citizens Evaluate Data Localization Policies and Political Responses. Foreign Policy Analysis, 21(4), oraf007. https://doi.org/10.1093/fpa/oraf007
Mishra, N. (2015). Data Localization Laws in a Digital World: Data Protection or Data Protectionism? (SSRN Scholarly Paper No. 2848022). Social Science Research Network. https://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=2848022
Pomfret, R. (2006). Chapter 3 Regional Trade Agreements. In M. Fratianni (Ed.), Regional Economic Integration (Vol. 12, p. 0). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1064-4857(06)12003-3
Rotimi, O. (2025). Digital Sovereignty and the Politics of Data Localization (SSRN Scholarly Paper No. 5921642). Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5921642
Sengge, A., Sudirman, & Umar, W. (2024). PENGAWASAN DAN PENEGAKAN HUKUM E-COMMERCE OLEH KPPU DALAM MENGATASI PERSAINGAN USAHA TIDAK SEHAT. Jurnal Hukum Lex Generalis, 5(4). https://ojs.rewangrencang.com/index.php/JHLG/article/view/604
Taylor, R. D. (2020). “Data localization”: The internet in the balance. Telecommunications Policy, 44(8), 102003. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2020.102003
Vila Seoane, M. F. (2021). Data securitisation: The challenges of data sovereignty in India. Third World Quarterly, 42(8), 1733–1750. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2021.1915122
Wahyuni, H. A., Naili, Y. T., & Ruhtiani, M. (2023). Penggunaan Smart Contract Pada Transaksi E-Commerce Dalam Perspektif Hukum Perdata di Indonesia. Jurnal Hukum In Concreto, 2(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.35960/inconcreto.v2i1.1018
Walliman, N., & Walliman, N. (2021). Research Methods: The Basics (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003141693
Winn, J. K., & Wright, B. (2000). The Law of Electronic Commerce. Wolters Kluwer.
Yudha, Sahril, I., & Atmadja3, D. A. R. W. (2025). Perlindungan Data Pribadi Konsumen, Dokumen dan Tanda Tangan Elektronik yang Dipergunakan oleh Pihak Ketiga dalam Transaksi E-Commerce. CENDEKIA : Jurnal Penelitian Dan Pengkajian Ilmiah, 2(2), 173–189. https://doi.org/10.62335/cendekia.v2i2.897
Kementerian Perdagangan Republik Indonesia. (2021). Undang-Undang Nomor 4 Tahun 2021 tentang Pengesahan ASEAN Agreement on Electronic Commerce.
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). (1996). UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce.
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). (2016). Technical Notes on Online Dispute Resolution.
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). (2022). Digital economy report 2022: Development and trends. United Nations.
World Trade Organization (WTO). (2023). WTO E-commerce Initiative progress report. World Trade Organization (WTO). (2024). Moratorium on customs duties on electronic
OECD. (2021). Recommendation on consumer protection in e-commerce.
OECD. (2022). Pillar One: Amount A - OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS.
