Microsoft also wants electronic commerce to be a tariff-free zone. WTO's 135 member nations have agreed not to levy customs duties on goods bought over the Internet. Merchandise still might be subject to duties once it crosses the border, as it would be if it had been ordered by phone or in person. Microsoft supports extending the zero-tariff rule to products that are delivered, not just ordered, via the Internet. In five or 10 years, software, books, music and even motion pictures could be ordered and delivered electronically, to personal computers, Smith said.
High tariffs are a much bigger issue for the forest-products industry.
The United States imposes virtually no tariffs on imported wood and paper products. But U.S. exporters face tariffs of up to 45 percent in such countries as India and Malaysia. The idea is to end unequal tariffs between trade partners. Weyerhaeuser hopes the WTO will adopt the ATL, which originated with the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. Klein said protectionist tariffs are partly to blame for some of the 18,000 U.S. forest-industry jobs that were lost last year.