The following statement can be attributed to Sage Chandler, vice president for international trade at the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, in response to negotiations in Geneva this week that aim to conclude the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) expansion. Official negotiations have now been suspended due to a lack of progress by the Chinese delegation on its negotiation position. No date to resume discussions has been announced:
“We are concerned that China delayed the prospects of a tariff reducing deal this week for IT products. China is asking for the removal of more than 100 products from the ITA negotiation, which cannot be viewed as a meaningful effort. As a result, negotiations in Geneva have been officially suspended. The Chinese position should be responsible, with a serious but limited list of products it wishes to exclude from lower tariffs. We want to work with China to ensure this deal is finalized as soon as possible, but in order to be a partner in the ITA negotiations, reciprocal treatment is required. CEA urges conclusion of the negotiations no later than the December 2013 Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference in Bali, Indonesia.
“The ITA has not been updated since its creation 16 years ago. An expanded ITA could remove tariffs on an estimated additional $800 billion in information and communication technology trade globally. Updating the ITA to include modern tech products is vital to ensure that the agreement’s many benefits extend to the world’s citizens.”
Chandler is part of a larger U.S. industry delegation in Geneva advocating for the conclusion of the expansion negotiations.
About CEA:
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $209 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also owns and produces the International CES – The Global Stage for Innovation. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online at www.CE.org, www.DeclareInnovation.com and through social media: http://www.ce.org/social.
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