Members agreed to organize three thematic sessions from the autumn of 2025 to the end of 2026. The first will be on “The Opportunities of ITA Participation: Participants’ and Stakeholders’ Experiences” with a view to expanding participation in the ITA and ITA Expansion Agreement. The second will focus on the ITA’s role in promoting artificial intelligence and other new technologies. The third session will look into the ITA’s role in supporting e-commerce and addressing the digital divide. The Chair of the ITA Committee, Mr. Ta-Lin (Peter) Shih (Chinese Taipei), said the WTO Secretariat and interested members will work together to follow up on the details of these sessions and keep the Committee informed of further developments.
The Chair also updated members on his consultations on furthering discussions on non-tariff measures (NTMs) imposed by governments to regulate trade, which members further discussed at the meeting.
Suggestions included focusing on NTMs imposed on the most traded ITA products, such as mobile phones and computers, and tackling NTMs related to the remanufacturing of electronic products, which refers to disassembling and repairing used devices. Members also suggested organizing joint sessions with the Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), undertaking a survey to identify NTMs participants would like to discuss, and revitalizing the NTMs working group. The Chair encouraged members to elaborate on their suggestions at the next meeting, adding that the next chair could consult on creating a new NTM work programme. The Chairperson of the Goods Council is consulting with members regarding chairpersons for subsidiary bodies, including the ITA Committee.
ITA product classifications
In response to members’ requests, the Secretariat provided a working document containing guidance on how to update the classification of 22 IT products so that they align with the 2022 version of the Harmonized System (HS) — the system used for classifying traded goods and determining the tariffs applied to them. Members have not so far agreed on common HS codes for these 22 products, which include flat panel displays and network equipment. The Secretariat noted that the document is prepared on its own responsibility based on its best judgement on how the classifications should evolve, adding that it has asked the World Customs Organization for feedback on the document.
The European Union; Japan; Hong Kong, China; and the United Kingdom thanked the Secretariat for this new initiative and the way forward proposed, indicating that they would study the working document, with several noting that it represents a good start to resolving classification divergences among members and ensuring the healthy functioning of the ITA.
ITA implementation issues raised at the meeting included concerns about Indonesia’s and Egypt’s import duties on IT products and mobile phones considered by participants to be covered by the ITA. These concerns have also been raised at previous meetings.
Next meeting
The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for 4 November. Additional meetings may be convened as required.
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