Information Technology Agreement: Advice and Information on the Proposed Expansion. Part 1. Investigation No. 332-532.

摘要

Under the Information Technology Agreement (ITA), a plurilateral accord that emerged from the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations, signatory countries agreed to eliminate tariffs on specific technology and telecommunications products. Because signatories agreed to apply tariff liberalization on a most-favored-nation (MFN) basis, signatory countries liberalized their tariffs on ITA products for all World Trade Organization (WTO) members. The ITA was concluded in late 1996 with 28 WTO member countries and now includes 75 WTO members. Signatories to the ITA meet periodically to review whether the agreement should be expanded to cover additional products. At the May 15, 2012, meeting of the WTO ITA committee, ITA participants agreed to begin formal consultations on additional product coverage in September 2012. Following the May 15th meeting, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) asked the U.S. International Trade Commission (Commission or USITC) to deliver two reports providing advice and information on a draft list of products that could be considered for addition to ITA product coverage. This draft list was prepared by a number of ITA participant countries. The USITCs first report lists both the information and communications technology (ICT) purposes and the non-ICT purposes for which each of these products is used, and summarizes information provided by interested parties to the Commission on the import sensitivity of these products. The second report, to be delivered in February 2013, will identify tariffs in major markets, the major producing countries, the leading U.S. export markets, and the leading sources of U.S. imports for each of the products on the list. In addition, the second report will examine benefits to the U.S. industry of ITA expansion, including information on increased market access and export opportunities in selected key subsectors.