G/L/1050  
 
15 October 2013  
(13-5643)  Page: 1/2  
Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Trade in 
Information Technology Products    
 
REPORT (2013) OF THE COMMITTEE OF PARTICIPANTS ON THE EXPANSION 
OF TRADE IN INFORMATIO N TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS 
1. The Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Trade in Information Technology 
Products, hereinafter referred to as "the Committee", was established pursuant to the provisions of 
the Ministerial Declaration on Trade in Information Technology Products (WT/MIN(96)/16), 
hereinafter referred to as "the Ministerial Declar ation", 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. 
2. The Committee has held two formal meetings in 2013:  on 22 March and 14 October.  
The minutes of these meetings are contained in documents G/IT/M/57 and G/IT/M/58.  Mr. Aaron Fowler (Canada) was re-elected Chairman of the Committee for 2013. 
3. The total number of participants to the Ministerial Declaration is 78.  Since the last report, 
Tajikistan joined on 2 March 2013, Qatar joined on 4 July 2013 and the Russian Federation joined on 13 September 2013.  The Committee's rules of procedure provide for observer status in the 
Committee for WTO Members which 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 intergovernmental 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 granted observer status to meet ings where issues of HS classification and 
HS amendments are included in the agenda. 
4. The Committee continued its deliberations on the Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) Work 
Programme in 2013.  With regard to its work on the EMC/EMI Pilot Project, the Committee took note that among the 50
1 participants, 27 have provided survey responses and the Committee 
encouraged those that had not provided the information to do so without any further delay.  
In considering ways to advance and expand its work on NTMs other than EMC/EMI, the Committee also heard reports and updates by participants on their contributions to work on NTMs, including a 
proposal, requesting the Committee to organize a workshop on NTBs in the first half of 2014.  
5. On classification divergences, the Committee, at the meeting of 22 March 2013, agreed to 
adopt the draft decision proposed by the Chair fo r the endorsement of List I - A items (G/IT/W/34) 
on an ad referendum  basis with 90 days for comments.  On 18 June 2013, El Salvador requested 
an additional 30 days.  As no comments were received by that extended deadline, on 20 July 2013 
the Decision (G/IT/27) was approved and participants shall submit the relevant documentation in connection with such modification no later than  30 April 2014. At the meeting of 14 October 2013, 
the Committee also discussed how to advance its work on classification divergences for other 
items.  
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 noted that most participants had 
submitted the formal documentation for rectification 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. One participant still had not yet submitted the necessary 
documentation.   
                                               
1 The European Union counts as one. G/L/1050 
 
- 2 - 
 
  7. At the meetings of 22 March and 14 October 20 13, Participants reported on the bilateral and 
plurilateral technical consultations initiated by so me delegations on product expansion.  They also 
agreed to revert on this matter at future meetings. 
 
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