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Australia-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement

Australia-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement

Entering into force on 8 December 2020, the Australia-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (DEA) is a high ambition agreement, setting global benchmarks for digital trade rules and a range of practical cooperation initiatives to reduce barriers to digital trade and build an environment in which Australian businesses, investors and consumers are able to participate in and benefit from the digitalisation of the economy.

Key outcomes and benefits of the DEA

The DEA builds on the digital trade arrangements between Australia and Singapore under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership and upgrades digital trade arrangements in the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement. For example, it: 

  • delivers more robust rules that ensure businesses, including in the financial sector, can transfer data across borders and will not be required to build or use data storage centres in either jurisdiction
  • improves protections for source code
  • establishes new commitments on compatible e-invoicing and e-payment frameworks
  • delivers new benchmarks for improving safety and consumer experiences online.

The DEA delivers in a number of areas identified as a priority in submissions to both the public consultations process that informed the DEA negotiations. A fact sheet and summary of the key outcomes of the DEA, and the are available on the website.

Australia-Singapore cooperation on digital economy

The DEA also delivers a comprehensive framework for bilateral cooperation through a series of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) covering data innovation, artificial intelligence, e invoicing, e certification for agricultural exports and imports, trade facilitation, personal data protection, and digital identity. 

Official Documents

Treaty text

The DEA entered into force on 8 December 2020.

The full text of the DEA is available here:

The DEA amends the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement to replace the existing Electronic Commerce chapter with a new Digital Economy chapter, along with some other amendments that give effect to the new Digital Economy chapter.

MoU on Data Innovation

The Australian Government and the Government of the Republic of Singapore agreed to cooperate on joint projects using combined cross-border datasets to produce new insights, demonstrating the value of sharing trusted, anonymised data across borders.

MoU on Cooperation on Artificial Intelligence

The Australian Government and the Government of the Republic of Singapore will cooperate on Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities, including new AI technologies, talent development and ethical standards to support the positive commercial application of AI in the digital economy. Originally signed on 23 March 2020, the MoU was updated and renewed in December 2024.  The MoU is available at the Department of Industry, Science and Resources website.

MoU on Trade Facilitation

The Australian Border Force, the Infocomm Media Development Authority and Singapore Customs agreed to increase collaboration on cross-border trade facilitation between Australia and Singapore.

MoU on Cooperation for Electronic Invoicing

The Australian Taxation Office and the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore will cooperate to expand e-invoicing interoperability in the region, based on the Peppol international framework. This MoU will make it easier for Australian small business to send and receive invoices between Australian and Singaporean businesses and with other businesses in the region.

MoU on Electronic Certification Cooperation

The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment and the Singapore Food Agency and National Parks Board of Singapore agreed to cooperate on electronic certification of agricultural goods trade, a significant Australian export to and through Singapore.

MoU on Cooperation in Personal Data Protection

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and the Personal Data Protection Commission of Singapore share a common mission to protect personal information and uphold individuals’ privacy rights as data flows across borders. This MoU sets out the intentions of both organisations to cooperate through sharing experience, expertise, intelligence and information on best practice in relation to the protection of personal information.

MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Digital Identity

The Digital Transformation Agency and the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office agreed to cooperate to develop policy frameworks to support mutual recognition of digital identity systems, which can support more efficient government interactions by businesses operating across borders.

MoU on Fintech

The Australian Treasury and the Monetary Authority of Singapore will strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation on financial technology and support FinTech firms looking to expand in each other’s markets.

MoU on Unsolicited Communications

The Australian Communications and Media Authority and the Info-communications Media Development Authority of Singapore agreed to enhance cooperation in relation to combatting unsolicited telemarketing, spam and scams.

Australia-Singapore Digital Trade Standards Research Report

Cooperation under the DEA also includes closer cooperation to support the harmonisation of key standards to support digital trade. A jointly commissioned study to identify priority opportunities for increased digital standardisation was published in October 2020.

Australia-Singapore Digital Trade Standards Research Report

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