Tariffs

A 20-year global moratorium on imposing tariffs on digital trade could end next week if India or South Africa makes good on threats, according to trade officials and documents, potentially forcing people to pay duties on software and movie downloads. Since 1998, World Trade Organization (WTO) members have renewed a ban on import duties on so-called "electronic transmissions", worth up to $255 billion a year by one estimate. Some think this favours rich countries, given it received strong backing from Washington at the outset and most of the lost customs revenues are thought to be born by developing countries. Pressure is now growing to lift the ban as more books and movies become digital, potentially reducing revenues further. India and South Africa circulated an internal WTO document, reviewed by Reuters this week, saying that rising digitalisation compelled "a rethink of the role of the temporary moratorium" last year, citing the potential of 3D printing to manufacture … [Read more...] about Trade war goes digital: India & others eye tariffs on internet economy

The big picture: Bridging the so-called digital divide is a hot issue in America right now and one that several politicians are actively tackling in their campaigns. Senator Bernie Sanders believes that access to high-speed Internet is a basic human right and if elected president, he vows that every household in the US will have access to affordable broadband by the end of his first term. To get there, Sanders aims to provide $150 billion in grants to help municipalities and states build their own broadband networks. He also wants to reform the Universal Service Fund, eliminate data caps, ban throttling and force all ISPs to offer a basic service plan that provides “quality broadband speeds at an affordable price.” Like his contemporary, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Sanders is all for breaking up big tech companies. Specifically, Sanders said the Internet and access to it should be “a public good for all, not another price gouging profit machine for Comcast, AT&T … [Read more...] about Bernie Sanders aims to break up ISP and cable monopolies

Coal is seen by many as an enemy of renewable energy and the first fossil fuel in line for elimination as things like solar and wind generation have gotten cheaper. But counterattacks from coal can go even further than lobbying against pro-renewable policies, it seems. According to new research, China’s coal-driven air pollution is significantly reducing the output of solar panels by dimming the Sun. China is easily number one in terms of new solar construction right now, accounting for over half of the world’s installs in 2017, for example. Between 2010 and 2017, China went from having less than 1 gigawatt of solar capacity to 130 gigawatts, and the country is headed for around 400 gigawatts by 2030. After a run of transformative economic growth powered by coal and other fossil fuels, China is dealing with choking air pollution that is a major driving factor in this solar push. Recent research has compiled a record of solar radiation measurements around China going back to … [Read more...] about Chinese air pollution dimmed sunlight enough to impact solar panels