. /. RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/IT/W/24 
23 October 2006 
 (06-5116) 
 
  
DRAFT
 
 
REPORT (2006) OF THE COMMITTEE OF  PARTICIPANTS ON  THE EXPANSION 
OF TRADE IN INFORMAT ION TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS  
 
 1. The Committee of Participants on the Expans ion 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 Declaration", and the provisions for the Implementation of the 
Ministerial Declaration on Trade in Information T echnology 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 three formal meetings thus far in 2006:  on 4 February, 21 July, and 
[31 October].  The minutes of these meetings are c ontained in documents G/IT/M/45 to [G/IT/M/47].  
Mr. Martin Pospisil (Czech Republic) was elect ed Chairman of the Committee for 2006. 
3. The total number of participants to the Ministeria l Declaration is [sixty-nine]. [Since the last 
report, the schedules of Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam  
were circulated and approved by the Committee. The Committee noted that the concessions contained 
in the schedule of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam would come into effect upon the date of the 
Kingdom's accession to the WTO and the duty-free treat ment for all ITA products will be achieved 
within seven years from the date of Viet Nam's accession to the WTO.]  The Committee's rules of 
procedure provide for observer status in the Commi ttee 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 inte rgovernmental organizations are considered on a 
case-by-case basis.  The International Trade Centre (ITC) and Organization for Economic 
Cooperation and Developmen t (OECD) have been granted observer status; and the World Customs 
Organization (WCO) has been granted observer status to meetings where the issues of HS classification and HS amendments are included in the agenda. 
4. The Committee continued work on the Non-Tari ff Measures (NTMs) Work Programme.  It 
took note of the Secretariat's papers on  the subject (G/IT/SPEC/Q2/11/Rev.1 and 
G/IT/SPEC/Q4/19/Rev.2) which provided an overview of the submissions and an overview of the 
survey responses. The Committee proceeded with  its work on the EMC/EMI Pilot Project and 
approved the "Guidelines for EMC/EMI Conformity Assessment Procedures" (G/IT/25) on an ad 
referendum  basis. It also took note of the Secretariat' s note of the "Draft List of the Types of 
Conformity Assessment Procedures for EMC/EMI U sed by ITA Participants" (G/IT/W/17/Rev.3).   
5. The Committee further continued its work on classi fication divergences.  In this respect, the 
Committee continued with the last report from the customs experts (G/IT/14/Rev.1/Add.1) and the compilation document, as revised by the Secretariat (G/IT/W/6/Rev.2), as the basis for its discussions.  
In the past year, the Committee focused its discussions on List V (G/IT/W15). It conducted further 
discussions on List V (G/IT/W/20). [Communications  were also received from the World Customs 
Organization (WCO) concerning List III (G/IT/26).]  G/IT/W/24 
Page 2  
 
6. As a follow-up to the IT Symposium organized by the Committee in October 2004, a number 
of elements were taken up for discussions in the past  year (G/IT/W/14), and in particular on the issue 
of classification related to the transposition of HS96 to HS2002 (G/IT/W/22). Discussions are 
expected to continue on these matters in  the course of its future work.   
7. At the meetings of 21 July and [31 October 2006, the Committee discussed the suggestion by 
the Chairman regarding the preparation to orga nize another event, such as a workshop or a 
symposium next year to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the ITA.] 
8. At the meetings of 21 July and [31 October 2006, the Committee discussed the proposals by 
the Unites States concerning product coverage  of the current ITA.]   
9. 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 rectificat ion 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] particip ant was still awaiting the completion of domestic 
procedural requirements or had not yet submitted th e necessary documentation.  During the year, one  
implementation/classification matter was raised under th is agenda item by one participant in respect 
of the practices of another participant. 
10. The Chairman regularly informed the Committe e under "other business" that participants 
continued to consult among themselve s on review of product coverage.  He encouraged delegations to 
continue their efforts.     
 This document will be updated to take into account the discussions at the meeting to be 
held on 31 October 2006. 
 
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