Credit: Embassy of Italy in Washington DC

Recently, Alan Elias, eBay Senior Manager of Global Public Policy, participated in a panel discussion hosted by the Italian Embassy on “The Future of the Digital Economy.” The event was part of the Italian Embassy’s Digital Diplomacy series, which launched in 2012, and is aimed at engaging the public in an open discussion on digital diplomacy and innovation in foreign policy. Representatives from Lyft, Yelp, and Airbnb also participated and the conversation focused on the opportunities and challenges of the digital economy in terms of regulations, innovation as well as economic and social impact.       

Alan focused his remarks on the Global Empowerment Network Model of trade and how it is empowering micro and small businesses to engage directly with global costumers. He discussed the findings of eBay research, which revealed that these enterprises were trading at rates that dwarf traditional businesses whether they were located in advanced or emerging economies. Additionally, they experienced growth rates that exceeded their local economies regardless of location. Alan made the point that the platform economy was enabling micro and small enterprises to do what was once only reserved for the larger players in the traditional economy. From a policy perspective, he made the argument that governments should center their policies on getting more people onto platforms. He also added that governments should focus on reducing friction at the borders, as the world trading system was not designed to handle the high frequency of platform-enabled trade currently taking place.     

eBay Government Relations would like to thank the Italian Embassy for including us in this important event. We will continue to advocate for frictionless global trade wherever and whenever possible.