RESTRICTED  
  
G/IT/M/77  
 
15 December  2022 
(22-9329) Page: 1/14 
Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Trade in 
Information Technology Products    
 
 
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF 11  OCTOBER  2022  
CHAIRPERSON:  MR HAZRUL IMRAN AZAHAR  
The Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Trade in Information Technology Products held 
its 77th formal meeting on 11  October  2022. The airgram of the meeting was circulated in 
document  WTO/AIR/IT/16, and an annotated agenda for the meeting was circulated in 
document  JOB/IT/31.  
 
1   REVIEW OF THE STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MINISTERIA L DECLARATION 
ON TRADE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS: DEVELOPMENTS SINCE  
THE LAST COMMITTEE MEETING (G/IT/1/REV.59)  ................................ ..........................  2 
1.1   Request by China Regarding the United Kingdom's Participation in the ITA  .........................  2 
2   TRADE CONCERNS RAISED BY PARTICIPANTS  ................................ ............................  3 
2.1   Request by the European Union, Japan, and the United States Regarding Implementation 
Issues Concerning Indonesia  ................................ ................................ ..............................  3 
3   REQUEST BY JAPAN REGARDING AN UPDATE OF THE MODEL LIST OF  
ITA PRODUCTS BASED ON HS2022  ................................ ................................ ...................  4 
4   REVIEW OF PRODUCT COVERAGE  ................................ ................................ ................  6 
5   NON-TARIFF MEASURES WORK PROGRAMME  ................................ ..............................  6 
6   EMC/EMI PILOT PROJECT: DRAFT LIST OF THE TYPES OF CONFORMITY  
ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES FOR EMC/EMI USED BY ITA  PARTICIPANTS 
(G/IT/W/17/REV.28)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 7 
7   DIVERGENCES IN CLASSIFYING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS 
(G/IT/14/REV.1/ADD.1; G/IT/W/6/REV.3; G/IT/W/33; G/IT/W/34; G/IT/27; 
JOB/IT/12; G/IT/29, AND G/IT/W/40/ADD.1 -21, G/IT/W/40/SUPP L.4, AND 
JOB/IT/25)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  8 
7.1   Implementation of the Decision for the Classification of 18  "Attachment  B"  
Products (G/IT/27)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  8 
7.2   Implementation of th e 2016  Decision for the Classification of 15  Additional  
"Attachment  B" Products (G/IT/29)  ................................ ................................ .....................  8 
7.3   Possible HS2007  Classification  for the Remaining "Attachment  B" Items: Note by the 
Secretariat (G/IT/W/40 and its Supplements and Addenda)  ................................ ....................  8 
8   FOLLOW -UP ON T HE ITA  INFORMATION AND DIALOGUE SESSION WITH  
IT INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES: REPORT BY THE CHAIRPERSON  ................................ .. 9 
9   DRAFT ANNUAL REPORT (2022) OF THE COMMITTEE TO THE COUNCIL  
FOR TRADE IN GOODS (G/IT/W/54)  ................................ ................................ .............  11 
10   SECRETARIAT PRESENTATION ON THE ITA  AGREEMENT  ................................ .........  12 
11   DATE OF NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING  ................................ ................................ ...... 14 
 
 G/IT/M/77  
 
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  1  REVIEW OF THE STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MINISTERIAL DECLARATION ON 
TRADE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS: DEVELOPMENTS SINCE THE LAST 
COMMITTEE MEETING (G/IT/1/REV.59)  
1.1.  The Chairperson , following the Committee's practice, gave an overview of the Status of 
Implementation and reported on any update or new developments since the Committee's previous 
meeting.  
1.2.  The Chairperson  recalled the outstanding issue concerning Morocco and i ts pending submission 
under the 1980  Procedures for the rectification and modification of schedules. He noted that this 
issue was not new to the Committee , and that at its meeting held on 6  April 2022 the Committee 
had agreed to revert to it.  
1.3.  The Chairpers on recalled that Morocco had become a participant to the ITA on 
14 November  2003. However, Morocco had not yet submitted its final ITA  Schedule of modification 
and rectification commitments. Despite the outreach to Morocco on several occasions by his 
prede cessors, including communications in 2011, and 2014, as well as a letter sent to the Minister 
of Economy and Finance of Morocco in 2017, no formal response had yet been received from 
Morocco.  
1.4.  Therefore, the Chairperson regretfully informed the Committee th at there had been no new 
development or progress to report on this issue since the Committee's previous formal meeting.  
1.5.  The Committee took note  of the Chairperson's statement and agreed  to discuss this issue again 
at the Committee's next meeting.  
1.1  Request by China Regarding the United Kingdom's Participation in the ITA 
1.6.  The Chairperson  noted that the issue of the " United Kingdom's Participation in the ITA" had 
been included in the agenda at the request of the delegation of China in a communication to the 
Secretariat dated 26 September  2022. 
1.7.  In addition, he  inform ed Participants that he had recently held bilateral meetings with the 
delegation s of China and the United Kingdom to listen to their positions on this issue. Furthermore, 
on 7 October, he had organized  a joint meeting , with both delegations present, with a view to 
facilitating communication and exploring possible ways to address the issue. Both sides had 
expressed their willingness to engage but had indicated that they needed to check with their 
respective Capitals on certain  elements of the discussion. In this regard, the Chairperson hoped that 
China and the United Kingdom  would be able to update the Committee on their exchanges with their 
Capitals a nd between themselves.  
1.8.  The delegate  of China  recall ed China's  statements delivered at the ITA  Committee 's meeting 
of April  2022, as well as at previous ITA Committee meetings.  Indeed, as the Committee was aware, 
China had first raised the issue of the Unit ed Kingdom's participation in the ITA in April  2021. One 
and a half years had passed  since then , and it was unfortunate that the UK had still not yet submitted 
its own ITA  Schedule to the Committee.  In this regard, he noted that, on 7  October, thanks to th e 
leadership of the ITA  Committee's Chairperson, China had been given the first  opportunity since the 
Committee's April  meeting to discuss this issue with the United Kingdom . 
1.9.  He stated that China's position remained the same . In particular, China wished to reiterate that 
the ITA must apply to all ITA  Participants equally. The United Kingdom , as an independent 
ITA Participant, must ha ve his own ITA  schedule , like all other participants ; indeed, there could be 
no special participant in the Committee , and not only at China's request , but as a requirement of 
the ITA rules. For China, this was  a matter of the ITA  Agreement's authority and effectiveness. 
Therefore, China again urged the United Kingdom to submit its own ITA  schedule to the Comm ittee 
for review and verification as soon as possible.  
1.10.  Regard ing the Secretariat's document, document  G/IT/1/Rev.59, China expressed its 
disappoint ment that the document had not been revised to objectively reflect the factual situation 
and a participant's position, despite  China having raised questions regarding the document , as well 
as a request made at the Committee's April  meeting for the document to be revised.  G/IT/M/77  
 
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  1.11.  China recalled that the WTO website clearly stipulate d that "[T]he responsibility of the 
Secretariat  is to pro vide top -quality , independent support to the WTO  member government s on all 
of the activities that are carried out by the Organization, and to serve the WTO with professionalism, 
impartiality and integrity ". However, China had clearly request ed in previous ITA Committee 
meetings that a footnote  be added to document  G/IT/1/Rev.59 to indicate that the United Kingdom 
had not yet completed the relevant ITA procedures , and that the UK needed to submit its own 
ITA schedule to the Committee for the Com mittee's review and verification. However, this request 
had not yet been reflected in the document , thus raising for China the question of whether the 
Secretariat  was capable of providing top -quality independ ent support to WTO Members on this issue , 
and do ing so  with professionalism, impartiality , and integrity. In conclusion, China again request ed 
the Secretariat to revise the document in order that it objectively and accurately reflect the factual 
situation of participants'  positions.  
1.12.  The representative o f the United Kingdom  thanked China for its points  and noted that the UK 
was working bilaterally with the Chinese delegation and the WTO  Secretariat to try to resolve this 
issue as expeditiously as possible.  Indeed, the UK believed that there was important and relevant 
work to be done in the Committee , for which reason they were keen to advance on this matter. 
Accordingly , the UK wished to refer colleagues to its previous statements for further information 
regarding its position , as outlined in pas t Comm ittee meetings and recorded in the Committee's 
minutes. Nevertheless, the UK would be happy to provide further information to interested M ember s 
and delegations re garding  its ITA commitments and its detailed position on this matter.  
1.13.  By way of  clarification , the United Kingdom  stated that it would not submit an ITA  Schedule 
for review and verification. However, in  the interests of transparency, the UK was willing to hold 
bilateral discussions, such as those it was holding  with China and other participants  that may have 
comments with respect to the UK's ITA commitments , and for the purposes of providing clarification 
of these technical questions.  
1.14.  To recall, the United Kingdom  had replicated the ITA  commitments that it had made as a 
member of the European Union , incorporat ing those commitments in Schedule  XIX – United 
Kingdom, submitted for certification in 2018. WTO  Members had been able to review Schedule  XIX 
when it had been submitted for certification , and discussions were on going . 
1.15.  The United Kingdom reiterated its willing ness to continue holding bilateral technical 
discussions, and thank ed the Chairperson for the bilateral meetings that had been  held during the 
previous week.  
1.16.  The Chairperson  recommended that China and the Uni ted Kingdom work together on the 
appropriate language for inclusion.  
1.17.  The Committee took note  of the statements made.  
2  TRADE CONCERNS RAISED BY PARTICIPANTS  
2.1  Request by the European Union, Japan, and the United States Regarding 
Implementation Issues Concernin g Indonesia  
2.1.  The Chairperson  indicated that this issue had been included on the agenda at the request of 
the European Union, Japan, and the United States.  
2.2.  The delegate of the United States  again raised its concerns with respect to Indonesia applying 
tariffs on select ICT  products that appear ed to exceed Indonesia's WTO bound tariff commitments.  
In this regard, he noted that the US, alongside other Members, had been raising this issue with 
Indonesia repeatedly across multiple WTO  Committees for over tw o years. The US had also raised 
its concerns bilaterally, including at senior levels.  
2.3.  The United States continue d to be disappointed that Indonesia ha d not addressed these 
concerns or even responded to its specific question provided in writing in 2021.  The US understood 
that US  companies had also engaged  with the Indonesian government directly on this issue, seeking 
clarification on Indonesia' s application of these tariffs. Despite their efforts, they too ha d yet to 
receive a satisfactory response from Indo nesia.  G/IT/M/77  
 
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  2.4.  Therefore, the United States urged Indonesia to restore duty-free access for these select 
ICT products , in accordance with its commitments.  
2.5.  The delegate  of the European Union  indicated that they had repeatedly requested  Indonesia to  
align its tariff treatment of certain ICT  products classified under subheading  8517.62 with its 
WTO commitments. In particular, the  EU remain ed concerned about Indonesia' s significant 
10% tariff on products classified under tariff line  8517.62.49 , on which the EU ha d recorded a drop 
in exports.  
2.6.  She noted that d uring the most recent  meeting of the Committee on Market Access , Indonesia 
had informed Members that, according to the 2022  Indonesian Customs Tariff Book, the products 
concerned were listed at a zero ( 0)% tariff  rate. The EU understood that Indonesia's new customs 
tariff book had entered into force on 1  April 2022, and having  checked , unfortunately the EU could 
see that , despite Indonesia' s statement in the Committee on Market Access , tariff line  8517.62.49 
still carrie d a 10%  duty. Therefore , the EU  invite d Indonesia to explain why it was not providing 
duty-free treatment according to its commitments.  
2.7.  The delegate of Japan  reiterate d Japan's concern about the issue of Indonesia' s continued 
application of tariffs of 10% on certain ICT  products that fell under HS  8517.62, on which zero -tariff 
commitments had been  made. Indonesia had explained at the Market Access Committee , and 
previously at the ITA  Committee , that this had been a result of the integration o f a number of items 
by HS  conversion , and that Indonesia had not intend ed to violate its obligations.  However, Japan's 
concern was not yet resolved  and for this reason it wished to examine the facts further . To this end , 
Japan  request ed Indonesia to provid e more detailed information about the facts and its plan to 
address the issue.  
2.8.  The delegate  of Canada  wished to add Canada's voice to those with a systemic and commercial 
concern over Indonesia's application of tariffs on ICT  products  that were above Indonesia's bound 
rates. Accordingly, Canada call ed upon Indonesia to eliminate its tariffs on ICT  products in a way 
consistent with its ITA  commitments.  
2.9.  In response, t he delegate of Indon esia thank ed the European Union, Japan, the United States, 
and Canada, for their continued interest in the issue of Indonesia's import dut ies on certain 
ICT products.  
2.10.  In this regard, he  assure d the Committee of Indonesia's commitment to ensuring  that its 
measures remained in compliance with the WTO  rules.  Accordingly, Indonesia was still conducting 
careful investigations to ascertain  whether the products of concern were included in Indonesia's 
ITA Agreement commitments.  In parallel, his delegation had conve yed this concern to the relevant 
stakeholders in Indonesia,  with whom a meeting would be held in the near future in order to discuss 
latest developments with a view to resolving this concern.  
2.11.  He pointed out that Indonesia would respect and comply with every agreement that it had 
signed and would continue to carry out internal coordination to resolve this issue.  In addition, 
Indonesia wished to reaffirm that it had no intention whatsoever to take any action in violation of 
its obligation s under the ITA  Agreement.  
2.12.  Indonesia stood  ready to engage with the European Union, Japan, the United States, and 
Canada, as well as other participants , in resolving this matter.  
2.13.  The Committee took note of the statements made.  
3  REQUEST BY JAPAN REGARDING AN UPDATE OF THE MODEL LIST OF ITA  PRODUCTS 
BASED ON HS2022  
3.1.  The Chairperson  indicated that this item had been included on the agenda at the request of 
Japan.  
3.2.  The delegate of Japan  indicated that Japan had proposed this agenda item because it would 
serve as a kind of technical assistance from the Secretariat for participants'  appropriate 
implementation. The work to identify the product scope of ITA and ITA  Expansion with regard to G/IT/M/77  
 
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  HS conversion was essential to improving transparency and ensuring appropriate im plementation. 
In this connection,  ITA model lists compiled by the Secretariat had played a significant role in terms 
of ensuring a basic understanding of the scope  of products covered under the ITA and ITA  Expansion . 
3.3.  As ITA  model lists already existed based on HS2012 and HS2017, Japan request ed the 
Secretariat to formulate a model list based on HS2022. While this was a matter for the ITA  Expansion 
Group, Japan  also expect ed the Secretariat to formulate ITA  Expansion model lists that would assist 
participants  to identify the product scope with regard to HS2012, HS2017, and HS2022.  
3.4.  Japan understood that the Secretariat need ed a certain amount of time to formulate such 
model lists; nevertheless,  Japan would highly appreciate the Secretariat 's express ion of  its 
willingness to formulate them, given that there was no objection from participants  to doing so . 
3.5.  The delegate  of the United States  thanked  Japan for raising this issue. The US placed great 
value in the ITA  model lists and the work that had previously been carried out  to update them to 
reflect nomenclature changes.  
3.6.  The United States appreciate d the effort and work that had gone  into the development of the 
HS model lists in HS2012 and HS2017 ( as in document  JOB/IT/25 ) in 2020.  However,  before moving 
on to HS2022, the US wished to ensure that all of the necessary work on the model list s in HS2012 
and HS2017 had been  completed , including:  (i) having the model lists in HS2012 and HS2017 
circulated to the Participants in Excel format ; (ii) providing concordance tables between HS2007 and 
HS2012, and HS2012 and HS2017 , in Excel format ; and (iii) having ITA Participants review and 
comment  on the model lists , if applicable.  
3.7.  The representative of the  European Union  also wished to thank Japan for its suggestion  to 
update the model list.  For its part, the EU also believe d that the model list had been very useful in 
helping participants  with the appropriate implementation of the Agreement.  Therefore, the EU would 
indeed see value i n the work of updating the model list , and would consider it relevant when ever 
the timing was ripe. 
3.8.  The representative of the United Kingdom  thanked the Secretariat and very much welcome d 
the work to update nomenclatures for ITA  goods , noting that it reaffirmed the Committee's 
commitment to transparency , added value, and was useful and important in helping ITA  Participants 
to draw from these model lists in order to track trade through time.  
3.9.  Regarding ITA  Expansion model lists, she considered that the Commit tee should begin with 
updates into HS2012 and HS2017  nomenclature, ultimately aspiring to reach HS2022.  The United 
Kingdom, having its Attachment  B codes in HS2017  nomenclature through an amendment to its 
circulated Goods  Schedule, would be happy to support this work.  
3.10.  In addition, the United Kingdom welcome d the involvement of the WCO with the work on  
model list s, and noted that this could also prove useful when consider ing work on core divergences . 
The UK  would welcome the views of the Chair person  and other delegations regarding this potential 
proposal.  
3.11.  The Chairperson  invited the Secretariat to respond  under this agenda item . 
3.12.  The Secretariat  (Dr Xiaodong Wang) thanked participants f or raising this issue, noting that 
the model list played a very impor tant role in having a good understanding of the ITA's product 
coverage.  As certain delegates had mentioned, the Secretariat had already provided two  model lists 
in the past . The Secretariat would look into the areas that had been flagged by delegations with a 
view to beginning work on them, perhaps beginning from HS2012 for the ITA  Expansion and then 
gradually advancing to HS2022.  At the same time, he noted that this work took a significant amount 
of time and requested the patience of dele gations in this regard; delegations would be updated in 
due course on the progress achieved . 
3.13.  The Committee took note  of the statements made.  G/IT/M/77  
 
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  4  REVIEW OF PRODUCT COVERAGE  
4.1.  The Chairperson  recalled that, s ince the Committee's meeting of 15  May 2012, and as 
requested by some delegations, the "review of product coverage" had been included as a regular 
item on the Committee's agenda. This agenda item provided an opportunity for the Committee to 
receive reports and updates from those participants that were engaged i n bilateral and plurilateral 
consultations relating to the review of product coverage pursuant to paragraph  3 of the Annex to 
the ITA.  
4.2.  The delegate of Canada , in his capacity as Chairperson of the Participants to the 
2015 ITA Expansion Agreement, reported on the work of the participants to the ITA  Expansion 
Agreement.  
4.3.  He informed the Committee that almost all participants to that Agreement continued to  
implement, on an MFN  basis, their tariff reductions and elimination commitments under their 
national ITA  Expansion schedules.  
4.4.  While  not intending to pre -empt the Chairperson's report under Agenda Item  8, he also wished 
to refer to a recent meeting between some of the members of the Group and certain representatives 
from the ICT  industry worldwide . He highlight ed three points from that meeting regarding the 
benefits of joining the ITA and ITA  Expansion that he thought might be useful to those 
ITA Participants that had not been able to attend  it: (i) one of the benefit s of participating in the ITA 
and the ITA  Expansion was the elimination of the rules of origin burden that businesses face d in 
relation to providing proof of origin for their goods , because  if the actual product was free of duty 
there were no preferential t reatment issues, thus reducing costs for businesses ; (ii) the removal of 
tariffs under the ITA and the ITA  Expansion had also allowed MSMEs to participate in international 
trade, which should continue to be an important goal, as discussed also in the Informal Working 
Group on MSMEs ; and (iii)  it was not only the ICT  industry that benefit ted from the tariff reductions 
under the ITA and the ITA  Expansion, but rather the entire economy of participants, including the 
actual users of the products covered . 
4.5.  In con clusion , he noted that the Group of 2015  ITA Expansion participants would continue to 
reach out to other participants and Members to provide them with information on the ITA  Expansion 
Agreement and its benefits.  
4.6.  The delegate of the United Kingdom  appreciat ed the importance of reviewing product coverage, 
and particularly technological developments , to ensure that the ITA maintain ed its relevance at the 
WTO for its participants and  Members , and on the world stage , and given the particular nature of 
the products covered . The UK was very pleased to see Lao  PDR's accession as the first  LDC to join 
both agreements and  hoped that other developing countries would also choose to join . In this regard, 
the UK recognized tha t the ITA was a very ambitious agreement  that had increased worldwide access 
to IT goods by over one  trillion dollars annually. The UK also wished to see those benefits extended 
worldwide . Therefore, the UK saw great value in continuing to explore the evol ving nature of 
IT technologies and the role of the ITA on the international stage more generally.  
4.7.  The Committee took note  of the statements made and agreed  to revert to this matter, as 
appropriate, at the ITA  Committee's next meeting.  
5  NON-TARIFF MEASURES W ORK PROGRAMME  
5.1.  The Chairperson  referred to paragraph  3 of the Annex to the 1996  Ministerial Declaration, 
which required that "Participants […] meet periodically … to consult on non -tariff barriers to trade in 
information technology products." He reiterated that the Committee had attached great importance 
to non-tariff barriers (NTBs) and that, since 2000, NTBs had become an essential part of the regular 
work of the Committee.  
5.2.  He recalled that on 7  May 2015 an industry -driven workshop dedicated to NTBs affect ing trade 
in ICT  products had been organized. A factual report by the Chairperson had been circulated in 
document  G/IT/28. At subsequent meetings of the Committee, the Chairperson had been tasked to 
continue consultations on the follow -up to the ITA  NTB Workshop.  He also recalled that NTB  issues 
had been raised by certain guest speakers at the ITA  Symposium of 16 and 17  September  2021.  G/IT/M/77  
 
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  5.3.  He noted that little progress had thus far been made, unfortunately . Regarding next steps, he 
intended to hold consultations with interested participants on NTB  issues relating to global trade in 
IT products with a view to identifying topics for the Committee's future discussion.  
5.4.  The delegate of the European Union  wished to recall its view that, indeed, the ITA and  its 
expansion had brought considerable benefits in eliminating tariffs. However, the EU considered that 
ITA Participants should not lose sight of other trade hurdles , such as regulatory barriers. In this 
regard, the  EU recalled that it had been a strong p roponent of addressing such issues  in the 
ITA2 negotiations , but that it had agreed at the time to focus on expanding the product scope in 
order to achieve the widest support.  
5.5.  The European Union consider ed that work should continue on the regulatory dimens ion within 
the ITA  Committee  with a view to removing non-tariff barriers and thus further facilitating trade in 
IT products.  Indeed, the EU had remain ed committed to that objective , even if it was aware of the 
challenges involved in moving towards commitme nts in regulatory areas under the umbrella of the 
ITA. Furthermore, the EU remain ed convinced that making progress on non -tariff measures would 
bring tangible benefits to companies.  For these reasons , the EU looked forward to any further work 
that might  be carried out in this area.  
5.6.  The Committee took note  of the Chairperson's statement and agreed  to revert to this matter, 
as appropriate, at the Committee's next meeting.  
6  EMC/EMI PILOT PROJECT: DRAFT LIST OF THE TYPES OF CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT 
PROCEDURES FOR EMC/EMI USED BY ITA  PARTICIPANTS (G/IT/W/17/REV.28)  
6.1.  The Chairperson  recalled that one of the outcomes of the NTM  Work Programme had been the 
completion of a pilot project that had led to the adoption of the "Guidelines for Electromagnetic 
Compatibility (EMC) and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Conformity Assessment Procedures". 
Upon adoption of these "Guidelines", the Secretariat had prepared a note on the "Draft List of Types 
of Conformity Assessment Procedures for EMC/EMI used by ITA  Participants", as contained in 
document  G/IT/W/17 and its revisions. The note contained the responses to the survey and other 
notifications received from Participants on the type of assessment procedures for EMC and EMI that 
they used. ITA  Participants had in dicated on several occasions that they had found the information 
contained in this document very useful and wished to have it completed . 
6.2.  The Chairperson noted  that there were still ten participants that had not yet provided any 
information on their conform ity assessment procedures, namely Afghanistan; Iceland; Israel; the 
State of Kuwait; the Kyrgyz Republic; Morocco; Nicaragua; Tajikistan; the United Arab Emirates; 
and Viet Nam. The Chairperson encouraged these 10  delegations to provide their information t o the 
Secretariat as soon as possible so as to enable the Committee to complete this work.  
6.3.  Finally , the Chairperson noted that the conformity assessment issue had already been 
discussed in depth in the context of the TBT  Committee. For this reason , he cons idered that it may 
prove helpful to enhance the synergy and cooperation between the ITA  Committee and other 
WTO bodies, including the TBT  Committee, which were dealing with similar issues. In this 
connection, he propose d, if Participants agree d, to explore  the possibility of inviting Secretariat staff 
responsible for TBT  issues to share any relevant information with the Committee, in one of its future 
meetings, concerning ongoing discussions at the TBT  Committee relating to IT  products. He asked 
if this proposal was acceptable to Participants  and opened the floor for comment.  
6.4.  The Committee took note  of the Chairperson's statement and of the absence of any 
interventions . G/IT/M/77  
 
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  7  DIVERGENCES IN CLASSIFYING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS 
(G/IT/14/REV.1/ADD.1; G/IT/W/6 /REV.3; G/IT/W/33; G/IT/W/34; G/IT/27; 
JOB/IT/12; G/IT/29, AND G/IT/W/40/ADD.1 -21, G/IT/W/40/SUPPL.4, AND 
JOB/IT/25)  
7.1  Implementation of the Decision for the Classification of 18  "Attachment  B" Products 
(G/IT/27)  
7.1.  The Chairperson  recalled that, on 20 July 2013, the Committee had adopted a Decision for the 
HS1996  classification of 18  Attachment  B items, which had been circulated in document  G/IT/27. As 
required by that Decision, each participant must reflect the agreed classifications in its 
WTO Schedule of con cessions, as appropriate, following the 1980  Decision on the Procedures for 
Modification and Rectification of Schedules of Tariff Concessions (BISD  27S/25).  
7.2.  The Committee took note  of the statement made.  
7.2  Implementation of the 2016  Decision for the Classification of 15 Additional 
"Attachment  B" Products (G/IT/29)  
7.3.  The Chairperson  recalled that, on 18  April 2016, the Committee had adopted the "Decision for 
HS2007  Classification of 15  Additional 'Attachment  B' Products", which had been circulated in 
document  G/IT/29. Most of the items covered by this Decision related to HS2007  heading  8486 
(Machines and apparatus for the manufacture of semiconductor boules or wafers) and one  item 
related to heading  8471 (automa tic data processing machines and units thereof).  
7.4.  The Committee took note  of the statement made.  
7.3  Possible HS2007  Classification for the Remaining "Attachment  B" Items: Note by the 
Secretariat (G/IT/W/40 and its Supplements and Addenda)  
7.5.  The Chairperson  indicated that the Note by the Secretariat on "Divergence of Classification: 
Possible HS2007  Classification for the Remaining 37  'Attachment  B' Items" had been originally 
circulated as document  G/IT/W/40, based on the Swiss proposal for a three -step procedure 
(document  JOB/IT/12).  
7.6.  He recalled that, at the Committee's meeting of 31  October  2014, it had been agreed that: 
"Participants are expected to submit a communication to the Secretariat no later than 30  June 2015, 
indicating: (a)  the items that, in the partic ipant's opinion, should be classified differently from the 
HS2007  codes listed in column  8 of the Annex to this document; and (b)  the HS2007  subheading(s) 
that, in the participant's opinion, are relevant for the classification of the item in question." It had 
also been agreed that "The Secretariat will compile communications received in a separate 
document. On that basis, participants would then be expected to assess the next steps that could 
be taken to reduce any remaining divergence in classification."  
7.7.  He reported that, to date, the Secretariat had received comments from 21  participants. These 
had been circulated as addenda to document  G/IT/W/40. Comments had been received from the 
following participants: Norway (G/IT/W/40/Add.1); Chinese Taipei (G/IT/W/4 0/Add.2); Switzerland 
(G/IT/W/40/Add.3); the European Union (G/IT/W/40/Add.4); Hong Kong, China 
(G/IT/W/40/Add.5); China (G/IT/W/40/Add.6); Japan (G/IT/W/40/Add.7); Canada 
(G/IT/W/40/Add.8); the United States (G/IT/W/40/Add.9); India (G/IT/W/40/Add.10); Ma cao, 
China (G/IT/W/40/Add.11); El Salvador (G/IT/W/40/Add.12); the Republic of Korea 
(G/IT/W/40/Add.13); Panama (G/IT/W/40/Add.14); Thailand (G/IT/W/40/Add.15); Guatemala 
(G/IT/W/40/Add.16); Mauritius (G/IT/W/40/Add.17); Montenegro (G/IT/W/40/Add.18); 
the Russian  Federation (G/IT/W/40/Add.19); Seychelles (G/IT/W/40/Add.20); and New Zealand 
(G/IT/W/40/Add.21).  
7.8.  All these comments had been consolidated into document  G/IT/W/40/Suppl.4, which also took 
into account the 2016  Decision on the classification of the additional 15  items. Therefore, there 
remained 22  Attachment  B items for which Participants should provide their comments in order to 
arrive at a common HS  classification.  G/IT/M/77  
 
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  7.9.  In this regard, the Chairperson invited delegations that had not yet provided their comments 
on the possible HS2007  classification of these remaining 22  items to do so as soon as possible in 
order to arrive at a common classification for these products within existing HS  nomenclature and 
thereby also to fulfil the mandate of paragraph  5 of the Annex to the Ministerial Declaration on Trade 
in Information Technology Products.  
7.10.  The delegate of the United Kingdom  referred to its previous statement indicating that it would 
certainly welcome the W CO being invited to future ITA  Committee meetings to observe  and 
accompany this issue. The UK considered  that the WCO may have useful inputs to share as 
concern ed creating new correlation tables and divergences in classification in Attachment  B codes.  
7.11.  The Committee took note  of the statements made.  
8  FOLLOW -UP ON THE ITA  INFORMATION AND DIALOGUE SESSION WITH IT  INDUSTRY 
REPRESENTATIVES: REPORT BY THE CHAIRPERSON  
8.1.  The Chairperson  recall ed that an Information and Dialogue Session with IT  industry 
representatives had been  held on 28  September , during the WTO  Public Forum. This session had 
been organized by the Secretariat following the informal meeting of the Committee  that had taken 
place on 20  September , where participants had indicated an interest in such a session.  
8.2.  The following four  speakers had given  excellent presentations at the session : Mr John Neuffer, 
President and CEO of the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA); Mr Mario Palacios, Senior 
Director of Government Affairs and Head of International Trade Policy o f Applied Materials; 
Mr Edward Brzytwa, Vice President of International Trade of the Consumer Technology Association 
(CTA) ; and Mr Jay Chittooran, Director of International Policy of Samsung.  
8.3.  The Chairperson noted that i t was clear that the speakers view ed the ITA and its expansion as 
very successful sectoral trade agreements. Tariff elimination on hundreds of information technology 
products had made personal computers and mobile phones more affordable and accessible, had 
helped to address the digital divid e, and had contributed to making supply chains more resilient. 
During the COVID -19 pandemic, dozens of products covered under the ITA2, such as pulse oximeters, 
Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants, and multiparametric patient monitoring devices, 
had played a key role in saving lives through a range of health solutions. Furthermore, access to 
IT products and information and telecommunications infrastructure was a basic requirement for 
small businesses to undertake E -Commerce.  
8.4.  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 was 
fundamental to ensuring that the rule book of international trade remained current a nd relevant.  
8.5.  For his part , he had found the session very informative, especially on the production and 
transportation of semiconductors, including clean rooms, for example, and on certain key elements 
of semiconductor global value chains.  
8.6.  He asked for comments and feedback on the event, including: (i)  whether ITA Participants had 
found the information session to be useful ; (ii) if they  would like similar events to be organized by 
the Secretariat , and if so, to address which topics ; and (iii) if, and how, such sessions could be 
improved so as to better fit the needs of delegations.  
8.7.  The delegate of China  thank ed the Chair person  and the Secretariat for organizing this 
Information and Dialogue Session with IT  industry representatives.  In China's vi ew, it had been a 
successful and informative session.  
8.8.  During the session, industry representatives had shared their views on how IT  products 
support ed Participants'  economic and social development , and had also explored the important role 
of a possible ITA 3 in integrating more developing Members and SMEs into the global technology 
supply chain, thereby bridging the digital divide, promoting remote healthcare solutions, and helping 
address climate change.  G/IT/M/77  
 
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  8.9.  China considered such first-hand information session s to be very important and necessary. The 
session in question  had provided Participants with some new ideas about possible future work in the 
Committee and had strengthen ed the Committee's relevance in relation to this fast -moving i ndustry.  
China also noted that, at the previous week's meeting  of the General Council , Members had 
expressed various views on WTO  reform , including the suggestion  to strengthen the subsidiary 
bodies' efficiency and dialogue.  In this regard, China considere d that the Information and Dialogue 
Session with IT  industry representatives, together with last year's Symposium on 25  years of the 
Information Technology Agreement, were very good examples of how ITA Participants could enhance 
the dialogue with industry and inject more dynamism into the Committee's work.  Therefore, China 
suggest ed and encourage d the Chair person  and the Secretariat to work together with all 
ITA Participants to see whether more stakeholders from different participants  could be invited to 
further enhance the Committee's dialogue with industries in various formats.  
8.10.  Finally, China also wished to take the opportunity to thank Canada for holding a session at its 
mission , and the Philippines mission  for hosting a  wonderful reception.  
8.11.  The delegate of the European Union  indicated that the EU had also found the  presentations 
by IT  industry representatives very informative, as well as the subsequent exchange of views.  In 
particular, it had been  interesting to receive additional insight into the global character of ICT  supply 
chains and the development of innovative IT products. It had also been very informative to see 
practical illustrations of how the IT  sector had been, and continue d to be, instrumental in supporting 
effective healthcare solutions or addressing climate and environmental challenges.  
8.12.  Building on that experience, the European Union wished to see more of these kind of 
exchanges. As discussed in previous sessions of the Committee, the EU considered that such 
exchanges could inc lude such themes such as those highlighted  above, including  global value chains 
in the IT  sector, or how the ICT  sector contribute d to addressing such global challenges as 
environment al protection or climate change.  
8.13.  Like others , the European Union also considered that it would be useful to create space,  most 
probably in informal settings, to dialogue with industry  representatives , academia , and various 
stakeholders from participants  at all levels of development. Indeed, the EU very much looked forward 
to participating in more opportunities of this kind in the future.  
8.14.  The delegate of the United Kingdom  thanked the Chairperson for his report , and other 
participants for their interventions. In particular, she thanked the Canadian miss ion and the 
Philippines mission for organizing their events . The UK did think it important for the voice s of the  
IT industry  to continue be ing heard in the context of the ITA  Committee's work, as well as in the 
context of the WTO 's work  more generally, and that the ITA Committee reflect ed on how it could 
learn from those  voices, and the stakeholder engagement sessions, and how ITA Participants could 
better integrate the work it undertook  in the Committee with the interests and experience s of those 
in the IT  industry . 
8.15.  The United Kingdom would  review the report in further detail with capital -based colleagues , 
and would also be happy  to return to discuss these issues in more detail  within the Committee . And 
echoing earlier comments , the UK c onsider ed that the previous year's ITA  Symposium had offered 
a really good overview of the importance of the ITA for a wide range of policy objectives, including 
health and the environment ; for the UK, it had therefore been a good platform for learning about 
how IT  goods were crucial to achieving many of these objectives and policy goals , including on the 
question of product coverage. Regarding these emerging themes, including the role of the ITA, and 
the role that ITA  Participants and the Committee could  play in advancing the above -mentioned goals, 
the UK wishe d to ensure that ITA  Participants kept this conversation going , and was happy to engage 
with other participants with a view to strengthening the work of the Committee on these new areas 
and themes.  
8.16.  The delegate of the Philippines  thanked all delegations for their support. The Philippines had 
indeed organize d a reception and dialogue session with certain other companies and IT industry 
private sector repres entatives . The Philippines looked forward to working with the Committee on 
delivering more information on how the ITA had, and could still,  benefit ITA Participants and 
Members of the WTO.  G/IT/M/77  
 
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  8.17.  The delegate of the United States  echoed others in thanking the Cha irperson and the 
Secretariat for their efforts in holding such a dialogue session with the IT  industry . The US had found 
it very interesting and useful to hear the different views and perspectives  on industry developments 
and trends , including on the role that ICT  products had played during the pandemic , for example . 
The US also wished to thank the Philippines and Canada . Indeed, the US appreciate d the support 
and look ed forward to  keeping the conversation going and to continuing to discuss how 
ITA Participants could make the Committee more dynamic , including potentially through greater 
participation from private sector stakeholders.  
8.18.  The delegate of Japan  thanked the Chairperson and the Secretariat for their initiative i n 
organizing this session. He also thanked Canada and the Philippines for holding their events.  He 
echoed and supported the comments of others on the need for more dialogue with stakeholders , 
which he also agree d would help strengthen the function ing of the Committee. If other participants 
agree d, he considered that it could be an option to hold this kind of session with industr y and 
stakeholders periodically with a view to sharing views on ITA -related technological developments 
and industrial sector perspe ctives.  
8.19.  The delegate of Canada  encouraged the Chairperson and Committee to keep things on a small 
scale, and as simple as possible. To illustrate his point, he referenced the previous year's 
ITA Symposium, which had been a very good  event,  but one that had surely also required a lot of 
work and taken a lot of time to organize. As an alternative approach, he advised ITA  Participants 
and the Chairperson to think less in terms of one -off events, and more in terms of regular, planned, 
and purposeful  engagement, in small bites, as it were . To this end, he suggested that the 
Chairperson and the Committee take the necessary time to plan out a process allowing for interesting 
topics, and a timing that would allow participants to attend. He summarized his  advice by proposing 
that future sessions should be kept small -scale, compact, and consistent.  
8.20.  The Chairperson  observed that most of the delegations that had taken the floor had found the 
information session useful and had support ed the idea of holding sim ilar events in the future. To this 
end, he encourage d ITA Participants to propose themes of interest and to work closely with the 
Secretariat to organize such future activities.  
8.21.  The Committee took note of the statements made  and agreed to hold similar even ts in the 
future , as appropriate . 
9  DRAFT ANNUAL REPORT (2022) OF THE COMMITTEE TO THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN 
GOODS (G/IT/W/54)  
9.1.  The Chairperson  informed the Committee that the Committee's draft annual report  (2022) to 
the Council for Trade in Goods had been circulated in document  G/IT/W/54, which would be modified 
to reflect the discussions at that day's meeting.  
9.2.  The delegate of t he United Kingdom  took the floor and raised a concern regarding 
paragraph  1.7 of  the report, specifically with the wording, " At a Committee's meeting in April and 
October , a discussion regarding the United Kingdom's participation in the ITA continued ". The UK 
took issue with this particular drafting , believing that it inaccurately fra med the discussion as one 
relating to participation. For this reason , the UK could not join the consensus to approve the draft 
report. Nevertheless, the  UK indicated its willingness to work with the Chairperson  and other 
participants , after the meeting , to come to a satisfactory resolution of the wording so that the 
paragraph accurately reflect ed the status quo.  
9.3.  The Chairperson  indicated that consultation s would be held, and the updated draft report 
circulated to ITA  Participants for their approval by written procedures. The Committee took note  of 
the statements  made.1 
 
1 In a communication to the Secretariat on 10  November  2022, the United Kingdom removed its 
objection to the wording of the report's paragraph  1.7 on the understanding that their concerns would be 
captured formally in the meeting's minutes, for the record. The draft report in document  G/IT/W/54 was thus 
re-circulated to  the Committee, via a Chairperson's communication, on 11  November  2022. No additional 
comment or objection was received before the 15  November deadline, meaning that the draft report had 
therefore been adopted by the Committee. The Committee's final report  was circulated in document  G/L/1441.  G/IT/M/77  
 
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  10  SECRETARIAT PRESENTATION ON THE ITA  AGREEMENT  
10.1.  The Chairperson  invited the Secretariat to give a present ation on the ITA  Agreement , and the 
Committee's w ork, with a view to better acquainting new delegates with it, and to facilitating the 
Committee's future discussion.  
10.2.  The Secretariat  (Dr Xiaodong Wang) gave a presentation on the ITA  Agreement  and the 
Committee's work .2 
10.3.  The Republic of Korea  thanked the Secretariat for its informative presentation, and enquired 
as to where to find the trade data for the ITA1 and ITA2. Referring specifically to the ITA  Information 
and Dialogue Session, he asked about the practical benefits for developing count ries of joining the 
ITA. In his view, it was very important to have a clear understanding of the benefits of participation 
for developing countries in order to achieve a critical mass of support for a further ITA  expansion. 
On this point, he asked if there  were any materials available on the benefits for developing countries 
of joining the ITA1 and ITA2. Finally, he had found the presentation to be very informative and 
requested its subsequent circulation to ITA  Participants.  
10.4.  The delegate of Australia  thanked the Secretariat for its interesting presentation. He echoed 
the Republic of Korea's request for the presentation to be circulated to ITA Participants following the 
meeting , but also expand ed on that request by suggesting that it also be s hared with new delegates 
to the Committee. In short, it was a very useful guide.  
10.5.  On some of the themes around joining the ITA , and its practical benefits for developing 
countries, he requested the Committee's discretion in order to share information from d iscussion s 
that had taken  place in the most recent working party meeting on Timor -Leste's WTO  accession . At 
that meeting, Timor -Leste had announced its intention to join both the ITA and the ITA Expansion 
as part of its WTO  accession. He considered this to  be very positive news for the ITA  Committee, 
and encouraged all ITA Participants to support Timor -Leste in its ambition to join both the ITA and 
the ITA Expansion.  
10.6.  The delegate of Canada  thanked the Secretariat for a really good presentation.  Picking up 
from Australia's comments, and the request from the Republic of Korea, as well as from previous 
discussion between industry representatives and participants to the ITA  Expansion, he considered 
that there were a number of benefits from ITA  participation for developing countries in terms of the ir 
access to products. In addition, he considered that it  was not simply a question of being able to 
export to a participant in the ITA  Agreement ; rather, it was also a question of receiving goods, and 
even investment  and manufacturing capacity , thanks to investment facilitation , supply chains , and 
avoiding the administrative burden around rules of origin, all of which, taken together, added up in 
terms of a developing country participant benefitting both from potential investment in 
manufacturing capacity, and from greater access, at lower cost, to the kinds of ICT  goods that 
support ed other industries within a participants' economy. Indeed, he considered th at one area that 
required clearer understanding was the question of the benefits of ITA  participation not in terms of 
the trade in ICT  goods to a participant, but in terms of the imports of ICT  goods , and how these 
benefit ed other sectors of the economy an d support ed growth.  
10.7.  On the Secretariat's presentation, Canada welcomed the helpful reference to, and explanation 
of, the ITA  Committee's "basic documents". He also noted the Secretariat's excellent use of the 
HS tracker, a tool that had been created by the WTO Secretariat  and the WCO that had first been 
presented to Members in the Market Access Committee a few years before . In this context, he 
thought that the Secretariat's final example was very apt in terms of the complications that face d 
ITA Participants in terms of settling on classifications for Attachment  B products.  
10.8.  The Secretariat had  also mentioned the WCO  link, which Canada considered to be important 
in the context of the ITA  Committee . In this regard, he had  observed that a number of ITA  delegates 
also followed the Committee  on Market Access (CMA) , which would be meeting in the coming weeks 
to receive a report from its Chairperson  concerning a presentation that he had recently made to the 
WCO HS Technical Committee . The report would  relate to a discussion that had been taking place in 
the CMA around the classification of pandemic -related goods . In short , he considered it to be a good 
 
2 Circulated in document  RD/IT/53.  G/IT/M/77  
 
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  example of dialogue with another international organization. And in  the context of the 
ITA Committee,  he asked if such a dialogue  could serve as  a possible model for reaching out  to the 
WCO regarding tariff classification issues  of interest to ITA  Participants . 
10.9.  On trade concerns, referencing another of the Secretariat's tools, Canada noted that the 
curren t version of the trade concerns database covered SPS, TBT, and trade concerns within the 
CMA, and wondered if the database could be extended to include ITA  trade concerns, especially 
given that these had links to trade concerns in other committees.  
10.10.   Finally , Canada encourage d the ITA  Chairperson , or his successor, to schedule another 
Secretariat presentation on the ITA  Agreement  to provide to new delegates this important 
background  and history.  
10.11.   The delegate of China  thanked the Secretariat for making a very helpful and informative 
presentation . He had been  especially pleased that some of his capital -based colleagues had also 
been able to benefit from the presentation by following it online. He considered that it had certainly 
helped him to develop a better understanding of the ITA  Agreement, in particular regarding any 
lingering confusion about the respective purpose, relationship, and linkage between the 
Attachment  A and Attachment  B product lists . Finally, he echoed  the calls of others in requesting 
that the presentation be circulated once the Secretariat had updated it based on participants'  
questions and comments.  
10.12.   The delegate of the United Kingdom  also wished t o thank the Secretariat for its very 
informative prese ntation , and considered that it was always helpful  to hear about the important work 
of the Committee in more detail. Indeed, the UK was always supportive of any work undertaken to 
increase understanding and transparency , in the ITA  Committee  and across all the other committees 
as well. In this regard, she noted,  as other delegations had previously mentioned, that Geneva -based 
delegates , old and new,  typically follow ed several goods portfolios, such that a refresher  session  on 
the particularities o f each agreement and each committee  was always helpful . 
10.13.   The United Kingdom echoed Canada in thanking the Secretariat for providing additional 
background, including with regard to his reflections on the Committee's dialogue with organizations 
relevant to it s work. The UK wished to avoid organizations working in silos, and to this end 
encouraged any process that resulted in greater dialogue and cooperation between different 
organizations. She cited the UK's experience in the context of the CMA as a good examp le in this 
regard.  
10.14.   On the details of the Secretariat's presentation, the United Kingdom had found it especially 
interesting to follow the chronology of the different steps involved in the work on  reducing non -tariff 
measures. She observed that the value of  trade in these goods was likely to continue increas ing, 
and the UK certainly wished to see trade being facilitated thanks to a reduction in NTMs . 
10.15.   On STCs, like others, the United Kingdom considered that the Committee could draw upon 
the knowledge, experie nce, lessons, and inspiration of other committees in order to better appreciate 
the linkages between the various committees.  
10.16.   On the accession process, the United Kingdom welcomed and looked forward to hearing 
updates regarding Timor -Leste's ambition and de cision to accede to the ITA, and would certainly 
encourage that accession and convey to others the UK's  message of support  for it. In addition, she 
indicated that the UK would welcome hearing the experience of Lao  PDR regarding its decision to 
participate to the ITA, and how it approached its ITA accession process. The UK hoped that such 
experience -sharing would spark interesting conversations with other Members  considering 
ITA participation , including developing countries, for whom access to such informati on was especially 
important . 
10.17.   The delegate of Chinese Taipei  thanked the Secretariat for its very informative presentation. 
He had found it personally very useful to better understand the Committee's work and all the detail 
of the related agreements.  On the substance, he noted that Dr  Wang had mentioned in his 
presentation  that Attachment  A was divided into Sections  1 and 2, Section  1 being IT products , and 
Section  2 being semiconductor products. On this point, he wished to know the purpose or specific 
reason for such a separation.  G/IT/M/77  
 
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  10.18.   The delegate of the European Union  thanked the Secretariat for its very useful and 
informative presentation.  She also made reference to the Committ ee's earlier discussion on model 
lists, and noted that the most recent information on model lists dated back to 2020, in 
document  JOB/IT/25. While acknowledging that the Secretariat had indicated that it would review 
this work, she wondered if any progress  had already been made  on it, and if a subsequent 
presentation could perhaps begin with a discussion of the background to document  JOB/IT/25, and 
its current status.  
10.19.   In response, the Secretariat  provided additional clarification and replies to the question s and 
comments raised by participants.  
10.20.   The Chairperson , on behalf of the Committee, thanked the Secretariat  for its insightful 
presentation . 
11  DATE OF NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING  
11.1.  The Chairperson  informed the Committee that the Secretariat had tentatively reserved 
Wednesday , 29 March  2023 as the date of the Committee's next formal meeting, on the 
understanding that this date would be confirmed in an email well before the meeting ; additional 
meetin gs might also be convened, as required.  
11.2.  The Committee so agreed . 
__________