2021 part 2

16/ Workshop on Information Technology Agreement to be held in September 2021

15 APRIL 2021

A WTO workshop to discuss developments in information and communications technology (ICT) will take place on 16 September in Geneva, according to a decision made at the meeting of the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) Committee on 15 April. The workshop will examine how trade in ICT products has helped countries around the world combat COVID-19. It will also allow government officials to engage with the private sector and representatives of the IT industry on trade covered by the ITA and how the Agreement is used as a development tool.

The workshop will allow participants to share experiences and examine how ICT has brought about socio-economic benefits, opportunities and challenges in relation to the digitalization of the global economy.

The workshop will also discuss the prospects and challenges for further expansion of trade in ICT products and participation in the Agreement and possible future work on non-tariff barriers. In light of the uncertainties and restrictions related to COVID-19, the WTO Secretariat will announce the format of the workshop at a later stage.

25th anniversary

The ITA marks its 25th anniversary in December. The Agreement was concluded by 14 participants (EC-15 counting as one) at the Singapore Ministerial Conference in December 1996. Since then, the number of participants has grown to over 50 and account for 97 per cent of world trade in IT products. The participants are committed to eliminating tariffs on IT products covered by the Agreement.

The ITA covers a large number of high-technology products, including computers, telecommunication equipment, semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing and testing equipment, software and scientific instruments as well as most of the parts and accessories of these products.

In December 2015, some ITA participants concluded the negotiations on an expansion of the 1996 ITA, which included an additional 201 products valued at over $1.3 trillion of trade per year.

Source: wto.org