Trade in digital goods and services have witnessed increasing growth in recent years, accompanied by a corresponding increase in data flows across national boundaries. At the same time, governments around the world have enacted data policies that restrict such cross border data flows in their effort to claim sovereignty over data generated from within their countries. However, scholars have long proclaimed that any restrictions to the Internet and associated digital trade will have serious economic consequences. Given this context, we analyze the impact of data policies that impose restrictions on digital trade, specifically on cross border data flows. We construct Market Data Restrictions Index (MDRI), that measures the data restrictions faced by an exporting country from their trade partners. We use a variation of random effect model on a panel data set consisting of 60 countries that contribute to more than 50 percent of IT services export during the period 2006–2017. The results indicate that apart from variables such as Foreign Direct Investment, and Service Value Added, the MDRI of partner countries has a moderate negative effect on IT services export. If countries move from liberal policies to stringent data restrictions, the economies of the country that exports its ICT services to these partner countries is affected substantially. Hence government regulators shall be cautious in imposing stringent data restrictions as it affects global digital trade.

近年来，数字商品和服务的贸易增长迅速，跨境数据流也相应增加。与此同时，世界各国政府都制定了限制此类跨境数据流动的数据政策，以争取对其国内产生的数据拥有主权。然而，学者们早就宣称，对互联网和相关数字贸易的任何限制都会产生严重的经济后果。在此背景下，我们分析了对数字贸易施加限制的数据政策的影响，特别是对跨境数据流的影响。我们构建了市场数据限制指数 (MDRI)，用于衡量出口国面临的贸易伙伴的数据限制。我们在由 60 个国家组成的面板数据集上使用随机效应模型的变体，这些国家在 2006-2017 年期间贡献了超过 50% 的 IT 服务出口。结果表明，除了外国直接投资和服务增加值等变量外，伙伴国的 MDRI 对 IT 服务出口有适度的负面影响。如果各国从宽松政策转向严格的数据限制，向这些伙伴国家出口其 ICT 服务的国家的经济将受到重大影响。因此，政府监管机构应谨慎实施严格的数据限制，因为这会影响全球数字贸易。结果表明，除了外国直接投资和服务增加值等变量外，伙伴国的 MDRI 对 IT 服务出口有适度的负面影响。如果各国从宽松政策转向严格的数据限制，向这些伙伴国家出口其 ICT 服务的国家的经济将受到重大影响。因此，政府监管机构应谨慎实施严格的数据限制，因为这会影响全球数字贸易。结果表明，除了外国直接投资和服务增加值等变量外，伙伴国的 MDRI 对 IT 服务出口有适度的负面影响。如果各国从宽松政策转向严格的数据限制，向这些伙伴国家出口其 ICT 服务的国家的经济将受到重大影响。因此，政府监管机构应谨慎实施严格的数据限制，因为这会影响全球数字贸易。