Digitalisation is transforming international trade. By enabling new business models and lowering information and transaction costs, it is expanding opportunities for firms and individuals, fundamentally changing what is traded and how. However, realising the benefits of digitalisation for trade depends on the capacity of economies to participate effectively and on policy frameworks that foster openness and trust while addressing legitimate public policy objectives.
The OECD Digital Trade Reviews support governments in making the most of this transformation. By mapping countries’ participation in digital trade to identify opportunities, and by assessing the regulatory environment that enables or constrains further benefits, the Reviews provide an evidence-based foundation for policy action. Their ultimate aim is to help governments seize opportunities, manage challenges and trade-offs, and ensure that digital trade works for all.
This Digital Trade Review of ASEAN 2026 is composed of five chapters and a country annex. The first chapter maps the nature and evolution of ASEAN Member States (AMS) participation in digital trade. The second examines the regulatory environment affecting digital trade, benchmarking performance against other countries and providing recommendations for reforms. The third chapter discusses the importance of cross-border data flows and the regulatory environment that underpin these. The fourth investigates the economic implications of deepening digital trade integration within the region, through the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), participation in the WTO e-commerce agreement and support to the WTO e-commerce Moratorium. The fifth chapter discusses how ASEAN can best leverage trade policy to enable benefits from AI. In the Annex, a set of country sheets with key findings are provided.
Contextual note
Timor-Leste joined ASEAN during the final stages of this report and is therefore not covered in this work.