WTO Information Technology Agreement nears conclusion The global Information Technology Agreement (ITA), which was agreed in principle at the World Trade Organization's Ministerial Conference in Singapore, in December 1996, is now close to being signed. Detailed commitments by countries representing more than 90% of world trade ... The global Information Technology Agreement (ITA), which was agreed in principle at the World Trade Organization's Ministerial Conference in Singapore, in December 1996, is now close to being signed. Detailed commitments by countries representing more than 90% of world trade in information technologies products have been submitted to the WTO, and negotiations at a meeting in Geneva on 1 and 2 March left participants optimistic that a formal agreement will be concluded by the 1 April 1997 deadline set in Singapore. The Singapore agreement provides for the removal, in stages, of customs duties and other charges on information technologies products, with complete removal to be implemented by 1 January 2000. The following groups of products are covered: computers, telecom products, semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, software and scientific instruments. Global trade in IT products currently amounts to over USD 500 billion, an amount comparable to agricultural trade. Sir Leon Brittan, European Commissioner responsible for external trade welcomed the results of the weekend negotiations, and looked forward to the benefits for European industry that implementation of an ITA would bring. Renato Ruggiero, Director-General of the WTO also welcomed the results of the negotiations, and emphasized the impact which the ITA, in tandem with the WTO telecoms liberalization agreement reached in February 1997, would have on all countries, developed and developing alike.
