Indonesia on the Dock at WTO for ITA Violation

· Hazrul Imran Azahar (Malaysia), Chair of the Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Trade in Information Technology Products, reported on the dialogue session with IT industry representatives held during the WTO's recent Public Forum, where updates were provided on the latest developments in the IT industry.

· the Chair said he intended to hold consultations with interested participants on non-tariff barriers affecting global trade in IT products, with a view to identifying topics for the Committee's future discussions.

· the ITA Expansion Group, Mr Christopher O'Toole (Canada) said the Group had also met with IT industry representatives on the margins of the Public Forum.

· WTO Secretariat gave an overview of the ITA, covering the objectives and coverage of the Agreement

· The next formal meeting of the Committee will be on 29 March 2023.

· Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) was the last member to join both the ITA and ITA Expansion (ITA II)

Participants in the WTO’s Information Technology Agreement (ITA) met on 11 October to discuss implementation issues relating to the ITA. They also underlined the importance of engaging with the private sector to learn about technological advances and to keep WTO rules up to date.

Implementation issues raised at the Committee meeting included concerns about Indonesia's import duties on IT products considered by members to be covered by the ITA.

Mr Hazrul Imran Azahar (Malaysia), Chair of the Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Trade in Information Technology Products, reported on the dialogue session with IT industry representatives held during the WTO's recent Public Forum, where updates were provided on the latest developments in the IT industry. Participants highlighted the importance of engagement with the private sector for the work of the Committee.

The Chair said: “In light of new waves of technological innovations, advances and developments, a deeper understanding of cutting‑edge industrial technologies and the operation of global value chains is fundamental to ensuring that the rule book of international trade remains current and relevant.”

On future work, the Chair said he intended to hold consultations with interested participants on non-tariff barriers affecting global trade in IT products, with a view to identifying topics for the Committee's future discussions.

Reporting to the Committee on behalf of the ITA Expansion Group, Mr Christopher O'Toole (Canada) said the Group had also met with IT industry representatives on the margins of the Public Forum. Those discussions emphasized the importance of ITA expansion, he said, not only to the information and communication technology sector but also to the entire economy, including to small businesses seeking to access new markets.

In an effort to help new delegates follow the ITA Committee discussions more easily, the WTO Secretariat gave an overview of the ITA, covering the objectives and coverage of the Agreement, members' obligations, and how non-participants can join the Agreement.

The next formal meeting of the Committee will be on 29 March 2023.

Background

The Information Technology Agreement (ITA) was concluded by 14 participants at the Singapore Ministerial Conference in December 1996. Since March 2022, the number of participants has grown to 55, representing 83 WTO members, which 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 Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) was the last member to join both the ITA and ITA Expansion (ITA II), making it the first least developed country to join these agreements.