Ongoing Geneva Discussions Review Tariff-Free Treatment in Information Technology Agreement

An informal group of eight countries is continuing discussions on proposed lists of products for tariff-free treatment in a revised Information Technology Agreement, sources said following a meeting Monday in Geneva. The EU, U.S., Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Costa Rica, Australia and Malaysia have product list proposals, an official said.

Focus on Tech Content

Officials are discussing the level of information technology content in the products, another source said. There are a lot of products proposed for listing where the IT is controversial, he said, referring to certain household appliances and machinery that could have many uses. Medical devices are proposed, though they haven't been discussed among participants, he said. Two things appear to be going on, an executive said. Talks in Geneva are trying to see differences in the list, she said. The big work now will be to try to get an idea of offensive and defensive interests, she suggested. Once that's done, the participants can begin negotiations, she said.

EC Seeks Reaction

The European Commission met informally last week with EU member countries and discussed the compiled list of proposed products, she said. The EC was to try to get reaction to the list, she said. The discussions are still at a technical level, another source said. They're aimed at merging proposals to identify areas of convergence and to address technical issues, he said. Technical issues are focused on how to define the products, he said. Officials will likely discuss how the World Trade Organization secretariat can get involved in schedules of commitments, he said. Medical devices with a very high IT aspect could be included, he said. The question is where to draw a line on what is and isn't included, he said. The preparatory work is still not very advanced, he said. The proponents are still pressing for additional lists of proposed products. Trade officials from the eight countries are meeting together and with officials from other countries, he said.