At the same time, McGuire warned that if the United States is to take an anti-protectionist message into trade talks with other nations, policymakers must make absolutely sure that they are not elevating domestic standards, such as those from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, over international efforts, or backing other restrictive policies.

"We have to be very, very careful I think not to enact similar regulations," she said.

BSA's report includes many other examples of protectionist efforts, including strict licensing regulations for cloud service providers in China that tilt the marketplace toward domestic companies, and rigorous security testing requirements for telecommunications hardware and software in India.

The group, which of late has been highly visible in advocating for anti-piracy measures and other intellectual property protections, is redoubling its focus on trade policy and opposing foreign market restrictions that affect its members.

"Every new trade agreement going forward has to be judged by a digital trade test," Holleyman said.