DATBA-FTA: Data Barriers in Free Trade Agreements
Nikita Melashchenko · Nikita Melashchenko · (2025) · dataset · source ↗︎
DATBA-FTA is a dataset that systematically codes data-barrier-related provisions in free trade agreements — regulatory measures that restrict, impede, or condition cross-border data flows. It is developed as part of the research project originating from the PhD thesis Data Barriers to International Trade (Victoria University of Wellington).
Coverage
- Agreements: 40 agreements (28 bilateral, 12 plurilateral); 37 in force, 2 not yet in force
- Agreement types: 26 FTAs, 11 Digital Economy Agreements, 3 upgrade agreements
- Parties: 38 jurisdictions (including EU, USA, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, UK, and others)
- Temporal scope: 2014–2026 (agreements with digital trade chapters; older FTAs without such chapters are outside scope)
- Status: version 1 (early release); cross-verified against TAPED
What it measures
Each agreement is coded across ten provision categories, with the full article text included for each applicable provision:
| Code | Provision | Agreements |
|---|---|---|
dl_provisions |
Data Localisation | 39/40 |
cl_provisions |
Computing Facilities Localisation | 38/40 |
cd_provisions |
Customs Duties on Electronic Transmissions | 35/40 |
db_exceptions |
Data Barriers Exceptions | 23/40 |
sc_provisions |
Source Code Localisation | 23/40 |
ogd_provisions |
Open Government Data | 19/40 |
cr_provisions |
Cryptographic Key Localisation | 15/40 |
ndt_provisions |
Non-Discrimination in Digital Trade | 15/40 |
ai_provisions |
Artificial Intelligence | 12/40 |
ts_provisions |
Digital Trade Standards | 7/40 |
The exception framework (db_exceptions) is separately coded into general exceptions, security exceptions, personal data/privacy carve-outs, financial services carve-outs and prudential carve-outs.
How it differs from TAPED
TAPED and DATBA-FTA are complementary but distinct:
| Dimension | DATBA-FTA | TAPED |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | 40 agreements (2014–2026) | 500+ PTAs (2000–present) |
| Focus | Data barriers specifically | Full e-commerce/data chapter |
| Provision depth | Full article text per provision | Binary/categorical coding |
| IP provisions | Not included | Included (software, liability) |
| AI provisions | Included (ai_provisions) |
Not included as a separate category |
| Exception structure | Coded in detail (5 sub-types) | Presence/absence |
| Agreement types | Includes standalone Digital Economy Agreements | FTAs and PTAs |
| Temporal coverage | 2014 onward (digital-era agreements only) | 2000 onward |
| Cross-verification | Verified against TAPED | Independent coding |
TAPED provides breadth across 500+ agreements with categorical coding; DATBA-FTA provides depth on 40 modern agreements with full provision text and a focused data-barrier lens.
Companion dataset
The DATBA national dataset (in development) will catalogue domestic regulations that create data barriers at the country level, complementing the FTA-level analysis. Together, the two datasets will map data barrier regulation across both national and international legal frameworks.
Interactive application
An Observable Framework application provides three analytical views of the dataset:
- Interactive Dashboard: 3D globe of FTA relationships, timeline of provision adoption (2014–2026), country participation statistics
- Data Tree: radial clustering of the dataset hierarchy by region and agreement type
- Provisions Explorer: full-text searchable database of coded provisions with advanced filtering by agreement, country, provision category, and keywords
Access
DATBA-FTA: Data Barriers in Free Trade Agreements Dataset. https://github.com/nzciel/datba-fta-dataset; licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; format .json.