American digital laws and policies are central to America’s economic success. Digital trade alone has added almost 1.4 million jobs to the U.S. economy. Internet Association’s own research using government data on the economic impact of the internet economy found that digital services contribute:1
- $450 Billion To Exports: Digital trade and digital trade-enabled businesses contribute hundreds of billions in service exports annually; in 2018 they contributed approximately $450 billion in digital service exports.
- 1.4 Million Jobs: Digital trade and digital trade-enabled businesses add more than 1.4 million jobs to the economy annually.
- Benefits To Every State: Digital trade creates jobs and grows the economy in all 50 states. The five biggest states for digital trade are California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Washington.
- Benefits To Every Sector: The majority (60 percent) of jobs created by digital trade are not in the internet industry. Instead they’re in industries like agriculture, manufacturing, and retail.
Digital trade creates jobs in every sector and every state in the country. Our technology leadership contributes immensely to our economy, but depends upon – and was built by – the U.S. digital policy framework. Policymakers who are interested in protecting this source of economic strength should advocate for the adoption of America’s digital framework across the world—including in our trade deals—and defend against unwarranted attacks on U.S. technology leadership.
The digital economy has given Americans access to amazing products, lower prices on everyday items, and new jobs. We export all of this across the globe, with digital trade now accounting for more than 50 percent of all U.S. services exports.
The U.S. boasts a $178.3 billion digital trade surplus
Digital trade supports 1.4 million American Jobs
The U.S. digital service trade surplus accounted for 69% of the total U.S. service trade surplus
The future of the American economy is digital, and digital trade is integral for the growth of every part of the U.S. economy.
- Small Business Growth: With the help of e-commerce and online marketplaces, U.S. small businesses:
Grow up to four times faster than businesses that do not embrace the internet
Create twice as many jobs
Are 50 percent more likely to be exporters
Bring in twice as much revenue through exports as a percentage of sales
- Biggest Trade Surplus of Any Industry: The U.S. is winning globally on digital trade — we run a $172.6 billion trade surplus in digitally-deliverable services.
- Majority Of The Benefits Not In The Internet Industry: More than 75 percent of economic value created by the internet is captured by companies in traditional industries, many of them small businesses located in every state.
