Bill Clinton: “I have today approved and released a report--``A Framework for Global Electronic Commerce''--setting out my…”

“I have today approved and released a report--``A Framework for Global Electronic Commerce''--setting out my Administration's vision of the emerging electronic market-place and outlining the principles that will guide the U.S. Government's actions as we move forward into the new electronic age of commerce. The report also suggests an agenda for international discussions and agreements to facilitate the growth of electronic commerce. The invention of the steam engine two centuries ago and the harnessing of electricity ushered in an industrial revolution that fundamentally altered the way we work, brought the world's people closer together in space and time, and brought us greater prosperity. Today, the invention of the integrated circuit and computer and the harnessing of light for communications have made possible the creation of the global Internet and an electronic revolution that will once again transform our lives. One of the most significant uses of the Internet is in the world of commerce. Already it is possible to buy books and clothing, to obtain business advice, to purchase everything from gardening tools to high- tech telecommunications equipment over the Internet. This is just the beginning. Trade and commerce on the Internet are doubling or tripling every year--and in just a few years will be generating hundreds of billions of dollars in sales of goods and services.…”