HP executives sidestepped questions on a Tuesday earnings call about the impact a Donald Trump presidency might have on trade and tax policy. Chief Financial Officer Cathie Lesjak said it’s “really too early to have a strong opinion on all of the different proposals that are out there, because there are so many.” It’s also “unclear at this point in time exactly what the situation is going to be and how it might impact on HP and what actions HP might take as a result of those policy changes,” Lesjak said. CEO Dion Weisler said “we obviously support comprehensive tax reform that makes us more globally competitive.” HP also backs “multinationals having fair access to overseas markets and the flexibility to operate global supply chains,” Weisler said. “But I think Cathie is quite right, it’s the very early days.” HP operates in 170 countries, “and we want to be able to do that in the appropriate tax environment and an appropriate global environment,” he said.

Cuba's lag behind much of the world in internet access and connectivity “may be changing soon” amid state-run Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba's (ETECSA) deployment of Wi-Fi hot spots, said TechFreedom in an email Tuesday. ETECSA deployed 65 hot spots in 2015 and is projected to deploy an additional 80 by the end of 2016. The approximately $2-per-hour access to Wi-Fi via ETECSA is “highly expensive for most Cubans” but “offers a previously unknown level of access,” TechFreedom said. The thawing of U.S.-Cuba relations is opening up new opportunities with U.S. tech firms to upgrade Cuba's digital infrastructure, which in turn will increase demand for Wi-Fi, said Engage Cuba Coalition Chief of Staff Adelina Bryant during a TechFreedom podcast. ETECSA's deployment of Wi-Fi means Cubans have been “given an inch, and they want a mile,” Bryant said. “The policy needs to change. We should be supporting the Cubans’ right to keep demanding more.”

Thirty mostly European civil society groups and individuals are urging EU officials to reject clauses in trade agreements, including the proposed Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), that the groups say would infringe on the "fundamental rights to data protection and privacy." In a letter released Monday and dated Friday, the groups, including Access Now, European Digital Rights and Privacy International and U.S.-based Electronic Frontier Foundation, said "trade negotiations are not suitable for shaping rules affecting fundamental rights and the rule of law in a democratic society." They said the rules will be interpreted by trade dispute settlement bodies whose aim is to liberalize trade, not protect human rights. But negotiating parties could use a "general exception clause" instead, the groups wrote. Such a clause could: ensure parties to the agreement "can condition the transfer and processing of personal data" on its protection; allow the EU or another party to suspend personal data flows if fundamental rights aren't respected; make sure privacy and data protection rights aren't subject to challenge in a trade agreement; and guarantee parties to the agreement shouldn't apply or adopt the "least restrictive privacy or data protection measures," the letter said. EFF blogged about the issue, calling TiSA a "secretive" trade agreement that uses many provisions of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.

T-Mobile customers can now use their wireless devices in Cuba, the carrier said Friday. “Customers can now talk for $2.00 a minute, send text and multimedia messages for $0.50 per message and receive them for free, and use data for $2.00 per MB while roaming in Cuba.” Calling back to the U.S. and Wi-Fi calling are free. “The opening of Cuba has been historic -- and we’re excited to do our part to help people connect,” said CEO John Legere in a news release. Earlier in the week, AT&T said subscribers can roam in Cuba. “Our customers want uninterrupted connectivity and a continuous mobile experience. This is especially true as more visit Cuba,” said Bill Hague, executive vice president-AT&T Global Connection Management. The AT&T rates are $3 a minute for voice calls, 50 cents per simple text, $1.30 per multimedia text and $2.05 per MB of data.

Qualcomm filed a complaint Oct. 14 asking the International Trade Commission to begin a Tariff Act Section 337 investigation into allegations that imports of mobile devices, including smartphones, infringe its patents. Qualcomm says Meizu, Dest Technologies, LGYD and Overseas Electronics are manufacturing and importing Meizu smartphones that copy its patented designs, including the Meizu m1 note, m1 metal, m2, m2 note, M3S, MX4, MX5, MX6, me note and PRO 6. Qualcomm seeks a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders banning import and sale of infringing Meizu devices. The ITC is seeking comments by Oct. 31, it said in Friday's Federal Register. Meizu didn't comment.

Customs and Border Protection is in "almost daily contact" with Hanjin Shipping, as the insolvent company devises a way to move cargo to its intended destinations, CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske said Friday at the Western Cargo Conference in San Diego. The agency is working to understand the "difficult issues" involved, such as cargo sitting offshore and the storage or movement of cargo at the ports, he said. "We have made sure that on the West Coast, all of our port directors" know what's going on, he said. The agency is also "well aware" of the problems the situation is causing, he said. CTA was among several dozen trade groups in various industries to urge Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker last month to continue engaging the South Korean government to smoothly resolve the supply chain disruptions caused by Hanjin’s recent bankruptcy filing (see 1609210076).

Developing countries should accede to the World Trade Organization Information Technology Agreement expansion to drive innovation and broaden international commerce, said a post to the Intel blog Thursday. “In the long term, ITA empowers the formation of a global [information and communication technology] supply chain as participating countries benefit both from cheaper imports of components and materials, as well as from exporting finalized products.” An expansion of the agreement covering additional products worth about $1.3 trillion per year was completed at the WTO Nairobi Ministerial Conference in December (see 1512160046).

The Republican and Democratic vice presidential candidates “undermine tech” with their recent criticism of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, CTA President Gary Shapiro said in a blog post for The Hill Tuesday. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., the Democratic vice presidential nominee, and Republican Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, the GOP vice presidential nominee, were scheduled to debate Tuesday night. Congressional “passage of TPP has the potential to provide significant benefits to the tech sector and the entire U.S. economy,” Shapiro said. “U.S. technology companies alone exported $10 billion in goods and services to TPP markets in 2014. The TPP will open or expand access to these key markets for the products, services and applications made by the companies CTA represents, and facilitate market access for the wide array of industries that rely on these technologies to conduct their own business.” Kaine and Pence “must return to their more welcoming attitude to free trade -- and correct the opinions of the presidential candidates they serve -- if the U.S. is to survive and thrive in this global economy,” Shapiro said. Both presidential nominees have criticized the TPP and congressional leaders said no consideration is likely during the lame duck session, despite the Obama administration lobbying for such a vote.

The Commerce Department is studying economic impacts of cross-border data flows driven by the internet, NTIA said in a Friday blog post. NTIA and the Economics Statistics Administration also released a report, Measuring the Value of Cross-Border Data Flows. “These data flows are happening and we know they are having an increasingly significant effect on the economy,” NTIA said. “Solid statistical foundations for measuring the economic impact of cross-border data flows do not currently exist.” The report highlights ongoing efforts to measure data flows, including a Bureau of Economic Analysis project to refine measurement of services that can be traded using information and communication technologies. BEA and NTIA also started a three-year study to define industries and commodities comprising the digital economy so it can estimate contribution to Gross Domestic Product. Next steps for the department: (1) Improve coverage and quality of government statistics on the service sector; (2) develop standard nomenclature and definitions for concepts on cross-border data flows; (3) better understand how firms use data flows and their economic value; (4) develop improved and consistent macro-economic statistics to measure the value of the data flows and the digital economy, including impact to GDP; (5) continue dialog between the department and industry to facilitate data sharing; and (6) continue collaboration between Commerce and international organizations to spread the metrics.

CTA was among several dozen trade groups in various industries to urge Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker in a Tuesday letter to continue engaging the South Korean government to smoothly resolve supply chain disruptions caused by Hanjin Shipping’s recent bankruptcy filing (see 1609020035). The Information Technology Industry Council and the National Retail Federation were among other groups signing the letter. Shippers are wondering when Hanjin ships will be allowed to access ports, whether creditors will seize goods after docking, where cargo is currently being held, where it will be unloaded, and how goods will be transported, the groups said: “The trade community is also facing steadily increasing freight charges as they look for new transportation options as well as concerns about fees assessed on cargo.” Small and medium-sized firms could be disproportionately affected as the situation persists, and resolution would bring needed certainty to U.S. businesses, they said. "U.S. businesses rely on predictability in their supply chains, particularly during the busiest shipping season of the year. The recent bankruptcy filing has caused widespread disruptions in freight shipments worldwide."