G/L/1163  
 
4 November 2016  
(16-6075) Page: 1/2 
    
 
 REPORT (201 6) OF THE COMMITTEE O F PARTICIPANTS ON TH E EXPANSION  
OF TRADE IN INFORMAT ION TECHNOLOGY PRODU CTS 
1.1.  The Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Trade in Information Technology Products, 
hereinafter referred to as "the Committee", was establis hed pursuant to the provisions of the 
Ministerial Declaration on Trade in Information Technology Products (WT/MIN(96)/16), hereinafter 
referred to as "the Ministerial Declaration", and the provisions for the Implementation of the 
Ministerial Declaration on  Trade in Information Technology Products (G/L/160), in order to carry 
out the provisions of paragraphs  3, 5, 6 and 7 of the Annex to the Declaration.  
1.2.  The Committee has held two  formal meetings in 201 6: on 18 April and 1  November . The 
minutes of these meet ings are contained in documents  G/IT/M/6 4 and G/IT/M/65.  Ms Zsofia 
Tvarusko  (Hungary) was elected Chair person of the Committee for 201 6. 
1.3.  The total number of WTO  Members that are participants to the Ministerial Declaration is 82. 
The Committee's rules of pr ocedure provide for observer status in the Committee for 
WTO Members that are not participants to the Ministerial Declaration, and governments that are 
observers to the Council for Trade in Goods. Requests for observer status by international 
intergovernme ntal organizations are considered on a case -by-case basis. The International Trade 
Centre (ITC) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have been 
granted observer status, and the World Customs Organization  (WCO) has been grante d observer 
status to meetings where issues of HS  classification and HS  amendments are included in the 
agenda.  
1.4.  The Committee continued its deliberations on the Non -Tariff Measures (NTMs) Work 
Programme in 2016. With regard to its work on the EMC/EMI  Pilot P roject, the Committee took 
note that, among the 53  participants, 33 had provided survey responses and the Committee 
encouraged those that had not yet done so to provide the information without any further delay. 
In considering ways to advance and expand it s work on NTBs other than EMC/EMI, the Committee 
continued its discussions on the follow -up to the workshop held on 7  May 2015 on NTBs affecting 
trade in IT  products. The main issues raised at the workshop by industry representatives were: 
transparency, st andards for recognition of test results, e -labelling, and energy efficiency. A factual 
report on the workshop was circulated in document  G/IT/28  under the Chair's responsibility . At the 
request of the Committee, the Chairperson undertook informal consultat ions with interested 
delegations to examine the recommendations and avenues that were suggested by industry 
representatives at the NTB  workshop, and such consultations will continue in 2017.  
1.5.  On classification divergences, with regard to the Committee's Dec ision (G/IT/27) concerning 
the endorsement of the 18  List I-A items for Attachment  B (G/IT/W/34), the Secretariat has been 
approached by five  ITA Participants for technical assistance. For the remaining 37  Attachment  B 
items, the Committee , at its meeting of 18  April 2016, agreed on a Decision (G/IT/29) for the 
HS2007  classification of 15  additional "Attachment  B" products. The Secretariat's comments on the 
remaining 22 items and comments received from 13 delegations were compiled in 
document  G/IT/W/40 and its Addenda and Supplement s. 
1.6.  The Committee has consistently reviewed the status of implementation, a summary of which 
is provided in document  G/IT/1 and its revisions. The document details that most participants had 
submitted the formal documentation for r ectification and modification of their WTO  schedules in 
order to incorporate the commitments arising from the Ministerial Declaration, and most had been 
certified by the Director -General.  G/L/1163  
 
- 2 - 
 
  1.7.  At the meetings of 18 April and 1  November  2016, the Committee took note of the 
plurilateral negotiations and the result of an agreement on product expansion among some 
participants  (WT/L/956  and WT/MIN(15 )/25), and its implementation. The Committee agreed to 
revert to this matter at its future meetings.  
1.8.  The Committee agre ed to hold a symposium on 10 -11 May 2017 to mark the 20th anniversary 
of the Ministerial Declaration on Trade in Information Technology Products (WT/MIN(96)/16) . 
__________