Commenting on the 7 October meeting between DCMS Secretary of State, Michelle Donelan, and U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, BritishAmerican Business (BAB) CEO Duncan Edwards said: 

“As the leading representative of transatlantic business, BAB has been advocating for a US-UK data adequacy decision. Data underpins the thriving trade and investment relationship between the US and UK and is a fundamental building block of both economies.   

Business has been clear that it needs an open, safe and legally secure environment for transatlantic data flows. A new, bilateral agreement should provide businesses with more certainty to make data-related investment decisions and remove legal uncertainty and burdensome administration from their day-to-day business activities. 

In an age of increasing digitalisation, the free flow of data is vital to almost all companies’ operations. The US and the UK must act like the global leaders that they are, ensuring a high standard of data protection domestically while allowing the safe, frictionless exchange of data between trusted partners. Further US-UK cooperation in this area is a welcome step towards strengthening the transatlantic partnership and will help create a more consistent set of international data transfer rules.”