WT/L/956  
 
28 July 2015  
(15-3896)  Page: 1/9  
General Council  Original: English  
 
 DECLARATION ON THE EXPANSION OF TRADE IN  
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION 
The following communication, dated 28 July 2015, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the European Union.  
_______________ 
  The following Members of the World Trade Orga nization ("WTO") which have agreed on the 
expansion of world trade in information technology products ("parties"). 
Albania Malaysia 
Australia Montenegro 
Canada New Zealand 
China Norway Costa Rica Philippines 
European Union Singapore 
Guatemala Switzerland
1 
Hong Kong, China  Iceland Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, 
    Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu 
Israel  
Japan Thailand  
United States 
Korea  
 
Declare as follows:  
1. Each party shall bind and eliminate custom s duties and other duties and charges of any 
kind, within the meaning of Article II:1(b) of th e General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994, as 
set forth below, with respect to the following:  
(a)  all products classified with Harmonized System ("HS") 2007 sub-headings listed in 
Attachment A to this Declaration; and  
 
(b)  all products specified in Attachment B to this Declaration, whether or not they are 
included in Attachment A.  
Staging  
2. The parties shall apply three year staging in four equal annual reductions of customs duties, 
beginning in 2016 and concluding in 2019, as standard staging, unless otherwise agreed by the 
parties, recognizing that extended staging of reductions may be necessary in limited 
circumstances.  The reduced rate should in each stage be rounded off to the first decimal.  Each party shall incorporate commitments on staging for each product into its Schedule of Concessions to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 ("Schedule of Concessions").  
                                               
1 On behalf of the customs union of Switzerland and Lichtenstein. WT/L/956 
 
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  Implementation  
3. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, and subject to the completion of domestic 
procedural requirements, each party shall elim inate all customs duties and other duties and 
charges of any kind on products listed in the Attachments as follows:  
(a)  elimination of customs duties in equal steps, the first such rate reduction effective no 
later than 1 July 2016, the second such rate reduction no later than 1 July 2017, the third such rate reduction no later than 1 July 2018, and the elimination of customs 
duties shall be completed effective no later than 1 July 2019; and  
 
(b)  elimination of such other duties and charges of any kind, within the meaning of 
Article II:1(b) of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 1994, shall be 
completed by 1 July 2016.  
Accelerated implementation  
4. The parties encourage autonomous immediate elimination of customs duties or accelerated 
implementation prior to the dates set out in paragraph 3 above, for instance for products with 
relatively low customs duties.  
Scheduling timeframe  
5. As early as possible, and no later than 30 October 2015, each party shall provide all other 
parties with a draft schedule containing (a) the details concerning how the appropriate duty treatment shall be provided in its Schedule of Concessions and (b) a list of detailed HS subheadings involved for products specified in Attachment B, which shall also include a headnote 
stating that such products shall be provided duty -free treatment wherever they are classified in 
the HS.  Each draft schedule shall be reviewed an d approved by the parties on a consensus basis 
taking into account the concerns expressed by the parties in the negotiations.  This review process 
should be completed no later than 4 December 2015.  
6. After this review process has been complete d for any such draft schedule of a party, that 
party shall submit its approved schedule, subjec t to the completion of domestic procedural 
requirements, as a modification to its Schedule of Concessions, in accordance with the Decision of 
26 March 1980 on Procedures for Modification and Rectification of Schedules of Tariff Concessions 
(BISD 27S/25).  
7. Each party shall implement paragraphs 3 and 6 of this Declaration once the parties review 
and approve on a consensus basis draft schedules  that represent approximately 90 per cent of 
world trade
2 in the products covered by this Declaration.  
Format of draft schedules of concessions  
8.  In order to implement its binding and elimination of customs duties and other duties and 
charges of any kind on products listed in the Attachments, each party’s modifications to its Schedule of Concessions shall:  
(a)  in the case of products classified with HS 2007 subheadings listed in Attachment A, 
create , where appropriate , sub-divisions in its Schedule of Concessions at the national 
tariff line level; and  
 
(b)  in the case of the products specified in Attachment B, attach an annex to its Schedule 
of Concessions including all products in Attachment B, which is to specify the detailed tariff classification for those products at either the national tariff line level or the HS 6-
digit level.  
                                               
2 To be calculated by the WTO Secretariat and comm unicated to the parties on the basis of the most 
recent data available. WT/L/956 
 
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  Acceptance  
9. The Declaration shall be open for acceptance  by all WTO Members.  Acceptance shall be 
notified in writing to the WTO Director-General who shall communicate it to all parties.  
Non-tariff barriers  
10. The parties agree to intensify consultations concerning non-tariff barriers in the information 
technology sector.  To this effect, the parties support the possible development of an upgraded work programme on non-tariff barriers.  
Final considerations  
11. Parties shall meet periodically, and at least one year prior to regular amendments to the 
Harmonized System nomenclature by the World Customs Organization, and no later than January 2018, to review the product coverage specified in the Attachments and consider whether, 
in the light of technological developments, experience in applying the tariff concessions, or 
changes to the HS nomenclature, the Attachments should be updated to incorporate additional 
products.  
12. The parties recognize that the results of thes e negotiations involve concessions that should 
be taken into account in ongoing multilateral non-agricultural market access negotiations within the framework of the Doha Development Agenda.  
Attachments to this Declaration :  
 Attachment A lists the HS 2007 subheadings or parts thereof to be covered by this Declaration.  
 
 Attachment B lists specific products to be co vered by this Declaration wherever they are 
classified in the HS 2007.  
 
_______________ 
 WT/L/956 
 
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  ATTACHMENT A 
Item HS 
2007 ex 
* Product Description 
001 350691 ex Optically clear free-film adhesives and opti cally clear curable liquid adhesives of a kind 
used solely or principally for the manufacture of flat panel displays or touch-sensitive screen panels 
002 370130   Other plates and film, with any side exceeding 255 mm 
003 370199   Other 
004 370590   Other 
005 370790   Other 
006 390799 ex Thermoplastic liquid crystal aromatic polyester copolymers 
007 841459 ex Fans of a kind used solely or principally for cooling microprocessors, telecommunication 
apparatus, automatic data processing machines or units of automatic data processing machines 
008 841950 ex Heat exchange units made of fluoropolyme rs and with inlet and ou tlet tube bores with 
inside diameters measuring 3 cm or less  
009 842010 ex Roll laminators of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuit 
substrates or pr inted circuits 
010 842129 ex Liquid filtering or purifying machinery and apparatus made of fluoropolymers and with 
filter or purifier membrane thickness not exceeding 140 microns 
011 842139 ex Filtering or purifying machinery and appa ratus for gases, with stainless steel housing, 
and with inlet and outlet tu be bores with inside diameters not exceeding 1.3 cm 
012 842199 ex Parts of filtering or purifying machinery and apparatus for liquids, made of 
fluoropolymers and with filter or purifier membrane thickness not exceeding 140 
microns; parts of filtering or purifying machinery and apparatus for gases, with 
stainless steel housing, and with inlet and outlet tube bores with inside diameters not exceeding 1.3 cm 
013 842320 ex Scales for continuous weighing of goods on conveyors using electronic means for 
gauging weights 
014 842330 ex Constant weight scales and scales for discharging a predetermined weight of material 
into a bag or container, including hopper scales, using electronic means for gauging 
weight 
015 842381 ex Other weighing machinery, having a maximum weighing capacity not exceeding 30 kg 
using electronic means for gauging weight 
016 842382 ex Other weighing machinery, having a ma ximum weighing capacity exceeding 30 kg but 
not exceeding 5,000 kg using electronic means for gauging weight, excluding machines for weighing motor vehicles 
017 842389 ex Other weighing machinery, having a maximum weighing capacity exceeding 5,000 kg 
using electronic means for gauging weight 
018 842390 ex Parts of weighing machinery using electronic means for gauging weight, excluding 
parts of machines for we ighing motor vehicles 
019 842489 ex Mechanical appliances for projecting, dispersing, or spraying of a kind used solely or 
principally for the manufacture of printed circuits or printed circuit assemblies 
020 842490 ex Parts of mechanical appliances for projecting, dispersing, or spraying  of a kind used 
solely or principally for the manufacture of pr inted circuits or prin ted circuit assemblies 
021 844230   Machinery, apparatus, and equipment 
022 844240   Parts of the foregoing machinery, apparatus or equipment  
023 844250   Plates, cylinders and other printing components; plates, cylinders and lithographic 
stones, prepared for printing purposes (f or example, planed, grained or polished) 
024 844331   Machines which perform two or more of the functions of printing, copying or facsimile 
transmission, capable of connecting to an automatic data processing machine or to a network 
025 844332   Other, capable of connecting to an automatic data processing machine or to a network  
026 844339   Other  
027 844391   Parts and accessories of printing machinery used for printing by means of plates, 
cylinders and other printing components of heading 84.42 
028 844399   Other 
029 845610 ex Machine tools operated by laser or other light or photon beam processes of a kind used 
solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuits, printe d circuit assemblies, 
parts of heading 8517, or parts of automatic data processing machines 
030 846693 ex Parts and accessories of machine tools operated by laser or other light or photon beam 
processes of a kind used solely or principa lly for the manufacture of printed circuits, 
printed circuit assemblies, parts of heading 8517, or parts of automatic data processing machines; Parts and accessories of machine-tools operated by ultrasonic processes of a kind used solely or principally for the ma nufacture of printed circuits, printed circuit 
assemblies, parts of heading 8517, or parts of automatic data processing machines; Parts and accessories of machining centres of a kind used solely or principally for the 
manufacture of parts of heading 8517, or parts of automatic data processing WT/L/956 
 
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  Item HS 
2007 ex 
* Product Description 
machines ; Parts and accessories of numerically controlled (other lathes) of a kind used 
solely or principally the manufacture of  parts of heading 8517, or parts of automatic 
data processing machines;  Parts and acce ssories of numerically controlled (other 
drilling) of a kind used solely or principa lly for the manufacture of parts of heading 
8517, or parts of automatic data processing machines; Parts and accessories of numerically controlled (other milling machines) of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of parts of heading 8517, or parts of automatic data processing 
machines; Parts and accessories of sawing or cutting-off machines of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of parts of heading 8517, or parts of automatic data processing machines; Parts and accessorie s of machine-tools operated by electro-
discharge processes of a kind used solely or  principally for the manufacture of printed 
circuits, printed circuit assemblies, parts of  heading 8517, or parts of automatic data 
processing machines 
031 847210   Duplicating machines 
032 847290   Other 
033 847310   Parts and accessories of the machines of heading 8469 
034 847340   Parts and accessories of the machines of heading 8472 
035 847521   Machines for making optical fibers and preforms thereof 
036 847590 ex Parts of machines of subheading 847521 
037 847689 ex Money-changing machines 
038 847690 ex Parts of money-changing machines 
039 847989 ex Automated electronic component placement machines of a kind used solely or 
principally for the manufacture of printed circuit assemblies 
040 847990 ex Parts of automated electronic component placement machines of a kind used solely or 
principally for the manufacture of printed circuit assemblies 
041 848610   Machines and apparatus for the manufacture of boules or wafers  
042 848620   Machines and apparatus for the manufacture of semiconductor devices or of electronic 
integrated circuits  
043 848630   Machines and apparatus for the manufacture of flat panel displays 
044 848640   Machines and apparatus specified in Note 9(C) to this Chapter 
045 848690   Parts and accessories 
046 850440   Static converters 
047 850450   Other Inductors 
048 850490   Parts 
049 850590 ex Electromagnets of a kind used solely or principally for magnetic resonance imaging 
apparatus other than electr omagnets of heading 90.18 
050 851430 ex Other furnaces and ovens of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of 
printed circuits or prin ted circuit assemblies 
051 851490 ex Parts of other furnaces and ovens of a kind used solely or principally for the 
manufacture of printed circuits or printed circ uit assemblies 
052 851519 ex Other wave soldering machines of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture 
of printed circuit assemblies 
053 851590 ex Parts of other wave soldering machines of a kind used solely or principally for the 
manufacture of printed circuit assemblies 
054 851761   Base stations 
055 851762   Machines for the reception, conversion and transmission or regeneration of voice, 
images or other data, including switching and routing apparatus 
056 851769   Other 
057 851770   Parts 
058 851810   Microphones and stands therefor 
059 851821   Single loudspeakers, mounted in their enclosures 
060 851822   Multiple loudspeakers, mounted in the same enclosure 
061 851829   Other 
062 851830   Headphones and earphones, whether or not combined with a microphone, and sets 
consisting of a microphone an d one or more loudspeakers 
063 851840   Audio-frequency electric amplifiers 
064 851850   Electric sound amplifier sets 
065 851890   Parts 
066 851981   Using magnetic, optical or semiconductor media 
067 851989   Other 
068 852110   Magnetic tape-type  
069 852190   Other 
070 852290   Other 
071 852321   Cards incorporating a magnetic stripe 
072 852329   Other 
073 852340   Optical media WT/L/956 
 
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  Item HS 
2007 ex 
* Product Description 
074 852351   Solid-state non-volatile storage devices 
075 852352   "Smart cards" 
076 852359   Other 
077 852380   Other 
078 852550   Transmission apparatus 
079 852560   Transmission apparatus incorporating reception apparatus 
080 852580   Television cameras, digital cameras and video camera recorders 
081 852610   Radar apparatus 
082 852691   Radio navigational aid apparatus 
083 852692   Radio remote control apparatus 
084 852712   Pocket-size radio cassette-players 
085 852713   Other apparatus combined with sound recording or reproducing apparatus 
086 852719   Other 
087 852721 ex Radio-broadcast receivers not capable of operating without an external source of 
power, of a kind used in motor vehicles, co mbined with sound recording or reproducing 
apparatus capable of receiving and decodi ng digital radio data system signals 
088 852729   Other 
089 852791   Combined with sound recording or reproducing apparatus 
090 852792   Not combined with sound recording or reproducing apparatus but combined with a 
clock 
091 852799   Other 
092 852849   Other 
093 852871   Not designed to incorporate a video display or screen 
094 852910   Aerials and aerial reflectors of all kinds; parts suitable for use therewith 
095 852990 ex Other, excluding organic light emitting diode modules and organic light emitting diode 
panels for the apparatus of subheadings 8528.72 or 8528.73 
096 853180 ex Other apparatus excluding doorbells, chimes, buzzers and similar 
097 853190   Parts 
098 853630   Other apparatus for protecting electrical circuits 
099 853650   Other switches 
100 853690 ex Other apparatus, excluding battery clamp of a kind used for motor vehicles of heading 
8702, 8703, 8704, or 8711 
101 853810   Boards, panels, consoles, desks, cabine ts and other bases for the goods of heading 
8537, not equipped with their apparatus 
102 853939 ex Cold-cathode fluorescent lamps(CCFLs) for backlighting of flat panel displays 
103 854231   Processors and controllers, whether or not combined with memories, converters, logic 
circuits, amplifiers, cl ock and timing circuits, or other circuits 
104 854232   Memories 
105 854233   Amplifiers  
106 854239   Other 
107 854290   Parts 
108 854320   Signal generators 
109 854330 ex Electroplating and electrolysis machines of a kind used solely or principally for the 
manufacture of printed circuits  
110 854370 ex Articles specifically designed for connect ion to telegraphic or telephonic apparatus or 
instruments or to telegraphic or telephonic networks 
111 854370 ex Microwave amplifiers 
112 854370 ex Cordless infrared remote control devices for video game consoles 
113 854370 ex Digital flight-data recorders 
114 854370 ex Portable battery operated electronic reader for recording and reproducing text, still 
image or audio file 
115 854370 ex Digital signal processing apparatus capable of connecting to a wired or wireless 
network for the mixing of sound 
116 854390   Parts 
117 880260 ex Telecommunications satellites 
118 880390 ex Parts of telecommunication satellites 
119 880521   Air combat simulators and parts thereof 
120 880529   Other 
121 900120   Sheets and plates of polarising material 
122 900190   Other 
123 900219   Other 
124 900220   Filters 
125 900290   Other 
126 901050   Other apparatus and equipment for ph otographic (including cinematographic) 
laboratories; negatoscopes WT/L/956 
 
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  Item HS 
2007 ex 
* Product Description 
127 901060   Projection screens 
128 901090 ex Parts and accessories of articles of subheadings 901050 and 901060 
129 901110   Stereoscopic microscopes 
130 901180   Other microscopes 
131 901190   Parts and accessories 
132 901210   Microscopes other than optical microscopes; diffraction apparatus 
133 901290   Parts and accessories 
134 901310 ex Telescopes designed to form parts of machines, appliances, instruments or apparatus 
of this Chapter or Section XVI 
135 901320   Lasers, other than laser diodes 
136 901390 ex Parts and accessories, other than for telescopic sights for fitting to arms or for 
periscopes 
137 901410   Direction finding compasses 
138 901420   Instruments and appliances for aerona utical or space navigation (other than 
compasses) 
139 901480   Other instruments and appliances 
140 901490   Parts and accessories 
141 901510   Rangefinders 
142 901520   Theodolites and tachymeters (tacheometers) 
143 901540   Photogrammetrical surveying instruments and appliances 
144 901580   Other instruments and appliances 
145 901590   Parts and accessories 
146 901811   Electro-cardiographs 
147 901812   Ultrasonic scanning apparatus 
148 901813   Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus 
149 901819   Other 
150 901820   Ultra-violet or infra-red ray apparatus 
151 901850   Other ophthalmic instruments and appliances 
152 901890 ex Electro-surgical or electro-medica l instruments and appliances, and parts and 
accessories thereof 
153 902150   Pacemakers for stimulating heart muscles, excluding parts and accessories 
154 902190   Other 
155 902212   Computed tomography apparatus 
156 902213   Other, for dental uses 
157 902214   Other, for medical, surgical or veterinary uses 
158 902219   For other uses 
159 902221   For medical, surgical, dental or veterinary uses 
160 902229   For other uses 
161 902230   X-ray tubes 
162 902290 ex Parts and accessories of apparatus based on the use of X-rays 
163 902300   Instruments, apparatus and models, designed for demonstrational purposes (for 
example, in education or  exhibi tions), unsuitable  for other uses 
164 902410   Machines and appliances for testing metals 
165 902480   Other machines and appliances 
166 902490   Parts and accessories 
167 902519   Other 
168 902590   Parts and accessories 
169 902710   Gas or smoke analysis apparatus 
170 902780   Other instruments and apparatus 
171 902790   Microtomes; parts and accessories 
172 902830   Electricity meters 
173 902890   Parts and accessories 
174 903010   Instruments and apparatus for meas uring or detecting ionising radiations 
175 903020   Oscilloscopes and oscillographs 
176 903031   Multimeters without a recording device 
177 903032   Multimeters with a recording device 
178 903033 ex  Other, without a recording device, ex cluding resistance measuring instruments   
179 903039   Other, with a recording device 
180 903084   Other, with a recording device 
181 903089   Other 
182 903090   Parts and Accessories 
183 903110   Machines for balancing mechanical parts 
184 903149   Other 
185 903180   Other instruments, appliances and machines WT/L/956 
 
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  Item HS 
2007 ex 
* Product Description 
186 903190   Parts and accessories  
187 903220   Manostats 
188 903281   Hydraulic or pneumatic 
189 950410   Video games of a kind used with a television receiver 
190 950430 ex Other games, operated by coins, banknotes, bank cards, token, or by any other means 
of payment, other than automatic bowlin g equipment and games of chance that 
immediately return a monetary award 
191 950490 ex Video game consoles and machines , other than those of subheading 950430 
 
 
* Partially covered subheadings are identified by the symbol "ex".  WT/L/956 
 
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  ATTACHMENT B  
 
192 Multi-component integrated circuits (MCOs):  a combination of one or more monolithic, hybrid, or 
multi-chip integrated circuits with at least one of the following components: silicon-based sensors, actuators, oscillat ors, resonators or combinations thereof, or components perform ing the functions of 
articles classifiable under heading 8532, 8533, 8541,  or inductors classifiable under heading 8504, 
formed to all intents and purposes indivisibly into  a single body like an integrated circuit, as a 
component of a kind used for assembly onto a printed circuit boar d (PCB) or other carrier, through the 
connecting of pins, leads, ba lls, lands, bumps, or pads. 
For the purpose of this definition  the following expressions mean: 
1. "Components" may be discrete, manufactured independently then assembled onto the rest of the 
MCO, or integrated into other components. 
2.  "Silicon based" means built on a silicon substrat e, or made of silicon ma terials, or manufactured 
onto integrated circuit die.  
(a). "Silicon based sensors" consist of microelectroni c or mechanical structures that are created in the 
mass or on the surface of a semiconductor and th at have the function of  detecting physical or 
chemical quantities and transducin g these into electric signals, caused by resulting variations in 
electric properties or displacement of a mechanical structure. 
 "Physical or chemical quantities" relates to re al world phenomena, such  as pressure, acoustic 
waves, acceleration, vibration, movement, orientat ion, strain, magnetic field strength, electric 
field strength, light, radioactivity, humidity, flow, chemicals concentration, etc. 
3(b). "Silicon based actuators" consist of microelectronic and mechanical structures that are created in 
the mass or on the surface of a semiconductor and that have the function of converting electrical 
signals into physical movement. 
3(c). "Silicon based resonators" are components that consist of microelectronic or mechanical 
structures that are created in the mass or on the surface of a semiconductor and have the function of generating a mechanical or electrical oscillation of a predefined frequency that depends 
on the physical geometry of  these structures in respon se to an external input. 
3(d). "Silicon based oscillators" are active components that consist of microelectronic or mechanical 
structures that are created in the mass or on the surface of a semiconductor and that have the 
function of generating a mechanical or electrical oscillation of a predefined frequency that depends 
on the physical geometry  of these structures. 
193 Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Backlights modules,  which are lighting sources that consist of one or 
more LEDs, and one or more  connectors and are mounte d on a printed circuit or other similar substrate, 
and other passive components, whether or not combined  with optical components or protective diodes, 
and used as backlights illumination fo r liquid crystal displays (LCDs)    
194 Touch-Sensitive Data Input De vices (so-called touch screens)  without display capabilities, for 
incorporation into apparatus having a display, which function by detect ing the presence and location of 
a touch within the display area.  The sensing of touch may be obtained by means of resistance, electrostatic capacity, acoustic pulse recognition, infra-red lights, or other touch-sensitive technology 
195 Ink cartridges  (with or without an integrated print he ad) for insertion into apparatus of HS 
subheadings 844331, 844332 or 844339, and incorporating mechanical or electrical components; thermoplastic or electrostatic toner cartridges (w ith or without moving parts) for insertion into 
apparatus of HS subheadings 844331, 844332 or 844339; solid ink in engineered shapes for insertion into apparatus of HS subheadings 844331, 844332 or 844339 
196 Printed matter  which grants the right to access, install, re produce or otherwise use software (including 
games), data, internet content (i ncluding in-game or in-applicati on content) or services, or 
telecommunications services (including mobile services)** 
197 Self-adhesive circular polishing pads  of a kind used for the manufacture of semiconductor wafers 
198 Boxes, cases, crates and similar articles,  of plastic, specially shaped or fitted for the conveyance or 
packing of semiconductor wafers, masks, or reticles, of subheading 392310 or 848690 
199 Vacuum pumps  of a kind used solely or principally for th e manufacture of semicond uctors or flat panel 
displays 
200 Plasma cleaner machines  that remove organic contaminants from electron microscopy specimens and 
specimen holders 
201 Portable interactive electronic education devices  primarily designed for children 
 
 ** The tariff elimination for printed matter shall only affect the rights and obligations with respect to trade in goods, that is, it shall not affect market access othe r than tariffs of the participants. Nothing in the ITA 
expansion agreement shall prevent an ITA member from regulating the content of such goods, including 
Internet content, among other things. Nothing in the ITA expansion agreement shall affect a member's market 
access rights and obligations on trade in services or pr event a member from regulati ng its services market.  
 
__________