This paper examines how artificial intelligence (AI), e-commerce, and digital trade are reshaping global trade systems and what these changes mean for Africa in general and particularly for Nigeria. These three elements now sit at the centre of modern economic transformation. AI enhances how firms make decisions, e-commerce changes how goods and services are bought and sold, and digital trade expands how value moves across borders through data, platforms, and digital services.

The accelerated development of digital trade has emerged as a pivotal driver of international commerce and economic expansion, catalyzing structural transformations in global trade patterns and profound supply chain realignments while exerting novel influences on economic globalization. Major world economies strategically prioritize digital economy advancement to harness opportunities presented by technological and industrial revolutions, concurrently demanding increasingly sophisticated institutional environments and regulatory coordination for open digital trade.

With the increasingly prominent role of digital trade in international commerce, digital trade rules have become a focal point for nations worldwide. Currently, multilateral negotiations on digital trade rules are progressing slowly, prompting countries to shift toward bilateral and regional trade agreement negotiations. This study employs bilateral export data and per capita GDP figures from 1,408 country pairs (2002–2020) to measure export sophistication using the Hausmann method.

Against the backdrop of the rapid rise of the digital economy, digital services trade has emerged with enormous development potential. This study selects panel data from 2008 to 2021 between China and 65 Belt and Road Initiative countries as the sample, conducting a comprehensive assessment of the impact of digital trade rule depth on digital services trade. Furthermore, the research delves into the specific pathways through which these effects materialize.

In recent years, China's digital trade has experienced rapid growth. According to data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in 2022, the scale of China's trade in services that can be delivered digitally reached 2.5 trillion yuan, representing a 78.6% increase compared to five years prior. However, China's digital trade development is characterized by a large scale and high user participation, yet it suffers from relatively weak international discourse power.

El documento se centra en proporcionar un análisis comprensivo de las regulaciones, iniciativas y mejores prácticas actuales para fomentar el uso ético y responsable de la inteligencia artificial en el comercio digital. Especialmente en países seleccionados como Colombia, México, Chile, Ecuador, Perú, Brasil y Costa Rica. Se analizan las regulaciones y se identifican oportunidades y desafíos clave, con el fin de ofrecer recomendaciones específicas para políticas públicas y regulaciones que promuevan un desarrollo equitativo y efectivo de la IA en el comercio digital.

El comercio digital ha experimentado un rápido crecimiento mundial en la última década, transformando la economía y la sociedad. Mientras que la Unión Europea y otros bloques líderes han avanzado en la regulación de este sector, América Latina enfrenta importantes desafíos. Este artículo examina las limitaciones técnicas, la imposición de estándares tecnológicos extranjeros y la falta de competitividad de la región, considerando su impacto en la regulación del comercio digital.

La Zone de Libre-Échange Continentale Africaine (ZLECAf) qui est opérationnelle depuis 2021 offre une opportunité pour booster le commerce digital africain et pour réaliser le Marché Unique Digital en Afrique. Dans cette perspective, le protocole sur le commerce digital en cours de négociations fait l’objet de toutes les attentes pour l’édification d’un cadre règlementaire propice et harmonisé. L’objectif de cette étude est donc d’analyser l’écosystème règlementaire du commerce digital en Afrique.