WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/IT/W/18 
30 September 2005 
 (05-4344) 
Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Trade in 
Information Technology Products  
 
 
CLASSIFICATION DIVERGENCES 
 
Summary of Discussions –  The Remaining 9 Items of List V  
 
Note by the Secretariat1 
 
 
 At the Committee's meeting of 25 May 2005, the Secretariat was asked to prepare a summary 
that would further assist participants in their discussions of the remaining 9 items in document 
G/IT/W/15 (List V of G/IT/W/6/Rev.3 – Items and Specific Questions Referred to the Committee to 
be Addressed).   
  The following summary shows the remaining 9 items of List V of document G/IT/W/15, 
including the original questions posed, and the corresponding summary of the discussions.  It is noted that both the discussions at the meeting of 25 May 2005 and written submissions received thereafter were used to produce the summary.
2  Thus, the summary consists of the contributions of six 
participants; three3 were active in the discussions at th e meeting and two submitted written comments 
thereafter.   The same sequential numbering of the remaini ng 9 items listed in List V of G/IT/W/15 and 
G/IT/W/6/Rev.3 is reproduced here for ease of reference. Classifications indicated in bold  were still 
outstanding issues noted by the Customs Expert Group, whereas those not in bold were essentially 
agreeable by the Customs Expert Group at the technical level.  
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1 This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own respon sibility and without prejudice to 
the positions of Members and to their rights and obligations under the WTO . 
2 As agreed at the meeting, delegations had until 17 June 2005 to submit comments in writing in order 
for them to be taken account in the summary. 
3 One delegation also submitted written comments at the meeting. G/IT/W/18 
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 12. 193- Flat panel display devices (including LCD, Electro Luminescence, Plasma, Vacuum-
Fluorescence and other technologies) for products falling within this agreement, and parts 
thereof. (847149, 847160, 847330, 853120, 853180, 853190, 854389, 854390, 854890, 
901380, 901390)  
 
  Discussions focused on whether the description was meant to cover the complete monitors, 
flat panels, and/or only display units/devices.   
 Question:  Was the description meant to cover finish ed products?, or if it also was meant to cover 
items in the semi-finished/component state?  
• 1 delegation felt the description meant to cover both semi-finished products/components 
and finished products. 
• 5 delegations did not intervene at the meeting. 
 
 One of the five delegations that did not in tervene at the meeting, in its written answers 
submitted to the Secretariat thereafter, commented th at: " Descriptions of flat panel display devices 
differ according to producers of such devices and other manufactures who use the devices as a component in their products: According to the former , the devices are final products; according to the 
latter, the devices are components in a supply chain to be used in the manufacture of a product." 
   
New Question: Can the Committee agree that the d escription covers both the finished products and 
parts thereof? Or otherwise?  13. 197- Paging alert devices, and parts thereof ( 852520 , 852790, 852910, 852990)
 
 
 Discussions did not reach agreement on the issu e of a product called ‘two-way pagers’.  The 
group could not come to agreement on whether tw o-way pagers (ones that could send and receive 
messages) were covered by the ITA description.  Some argued that pagers involved one-way 
communication, and thus this product was not covered.    
Question:  Whether the description covering "pagi ng alert devices" was meant to cover items that 
were called "two-way pagers"?  
• 1 delegation felt that paging alert devices ha d two functions, both sending and receiving 
alert, and this description covered 'two-way pagers'. 
• 2 delegations thought the description sh ould not cover 'two-way pagers'. 
• 3 delegations did not answer the question.  
 
New Question: Can the Committee agree that the d escription covers both the finished products and 
parts thereof? Or otherwise?   14. 199- Printed Circuit Assemblies for products falling within this agreement, including such 
assemblies for external connections such as card s that conform to the PCMCIA standard.  
Such printed circuit assemblies consist of one or  more printed circuits of heading 8534 with 
one or more active elements assembled thereon,  with or without passive elements "Active 
elements" means diodes, transistors, and si milar semiconductor devices, whether or not 
photosensitive, of heading 8541, and integrated  circuits and micro assemblies of heading 
8542. (841990, 842191, 842490, 843139, 846691, 846693, 846694, 847150, 847180, 847310, 
847321, 847329, 847330, 847340, 847350, 847790, 847990, 850490, 851440, 851490, 
851590, 851750, 851780, 851790, 851890, 852290, 852390, 852491, 852812, 852990,  G/IT/W/18 
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 853190, 853890, 854389, 854390, 854890, 900990, 901090, 901190, 901290, 901390, 
901790, 902690, 902790, 903090, 903190)  
 
  Some took the view that only PCAs not cove red elsewhere would be covered, whereas others 
were of the view that this description should be comprehensive and list all PCAs regardless of the 
coverage elsewhere in the ITA.  As part of the discussion, the group identified for the relevant HS 
items where PCAs would be classified.  For some items, PCAs were not relevant, whereas for others, 
the respective parts classification was typically the classification to use. 
 Question:  Was it the comprehensive approach, i.e.  identifying classifications of PCAs for all ITA 
products, necessary? or a more limited approach, i. e. identifying only items that were not already 
covered by the ITA elsewhere? 
 
• 2 delegations thought the comprehensive appr oach  was more appropriate and all PACs 
were covered. 
• 1 delegation indicated it should be a limited approach, i.e. identifying only items that 
were not already covered by the ITA elsewhere. 
• 3 delegations did not answer the question.  
 
15. 201-
 Proprietary format storage devices includi ng media therefor for automatic data 
processing machines, with or without removable media and whether magnetic, optical or 
other technology, including Bernoulli Box, Syquest, or Zipdrive cartridge storage units 
(847170, 852311, 852312, 852313, 852320, 852390, 852431, 852439, 852440, 852491, 
852499)  
 
   The group was not sure about the coverage of the media, as covered, if separate from the 
apparatus or not. 
 Question:  Was the associated media meant to be covered whether or not it was included in the 
device? 
 
• 3 delegations thought the associated media was meant to be covered by the description 
whether it was included in the device or not, however, two of them could consider 
associated media as not being covered by this description, since all associated media covered by this description were al ready covered in Attachment A.  
• 3 delegations did not answer  the question. 
 
New Question: Can the Committee agree that the d escription covers both the finished products and 
parts thereof?  
 16. 137- Encapsulation equipment for assembly of semiconductors (847710, 847740, 847759, 
847989)  
  Discussions continued on what was meant by ‘en capsulation’.  There was the issue of whether 
encapsulation was determined by the type of material i.e. plastic, rubber, glass, ceramic, epoxy, etc…   
     G/IT/W/18 
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 Question:  Was the description meant to cover ‘en capsulation’ by all different types of materials 
(plastic, rubber, glass, ceramic, epoxy, metal, etc…),  and thus all the respective machines that perform 
encapsulation with the various materials (e.g. molding, thermoforming, welding, etc…)? 
 
• 4 delegations thought encapsulation by all diffe rent types of materials should be covered 
by the description. 
• 2 delegations did not answer the question. 
 New Question: Can the Committee agree that the d escription covers both the finished products and 
parts thereof?   17. 138- Parts of encapsulation equipment (847790, 847990)
 
 
 Answer to the question under number 16 above would determine the outcome of this item as 
it refers to the respective host apparatus.  18. 144- Encapsulation equipment for assembly of semiconductors (847710, 847740, 847759, 
847989)  
  The same question as number 16 above.  19. 155- Parts of encapsulation equipment fo r assembly of semiconductors (847790, 847990)
 
 
 Answer to the question under number 16 above would determine the outcome of this item as 
it refers to the respective host apparatus.  20. 192- Electric amplifiers when used as repeat ers in line telephony products falling within this 
agreement, and parts thereof (851750, 851780, 851790, 851840, 851890)  
 
   Discussions continued on the issue of amplif iers, especially audio -frequency versus electric 
amplifiers.  It was noted that one could not distin guish repeaters that were used in telephony only.  
Without imposing an end-use criteria, it would be diff icult to identify only those products used in line 
telephony. 
 Question: Are all repeaters intended to be cove red?, not only those used in line telephony only? 
 Question: If repeaters are limited to line telephon y, how should one distinguish between those 
intended for different uses? 
 
• 2 delegations indicated further consider ation of this issued was required. 
• 4 delegations did not answer the question.  
 
 One delegation noted the difficulties faced by Cu stoms in determining whether such repeaters 
are suitable for use solely or principally in  line telephony at the time of importation. 
 
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