WTO members conclude landmark $1.3 trillion IT trade deal
16 December 2015 – World Trade Organization
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AGREEMENT
WTO members representing major exporters of information technology products agreed today (16 December) at the WTO’s Tenth Ministerial Conference, in Nairobi, on the timetable for implementing a landmark deal to eliminate tariffs on 201 IT products valued at over $1.3 trillion per year.

Negotiations were conducted by 53 WTO members, including both developed and developing countries, which account for approximately 90 per cent of world trade in these products. However, all 162 WTO members will benefit from the agreement, as they will all enjoy duty-free market access to the markets of the members eliminating tariffs on these products. The list of 201 products was originally agreed by the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) participants in July 2015.

“I am delighted to mark this breakthrough here today at the Ministerial Conference”, said WTO Director General Roberto Azevêdo. “This is a very significant achievement. Annual trade in these 201 products is valued at $1.3 trillion per year, and accounts for approximately 10% of total global trade. Eliminating tariffs on trade of this magnitude will have a huge impact. It will support lower prices — including in many other sectors that use IT products as inputs — it will create jobs and it will help to boost GDP growth around the world”…

…Among the products covered in this agreement are new-generation semi-conductors, GPS navigation systems, medical products which include magnetic resonance imaging machines, machine tools for manufacturing printed circuits, telecommunications satellites and touch screens.
:: ITA press conference — Remarks by Director-General Roberto Azevêdo
:: Briefing Note: Expansion of Trade in IT Products
:: Ministerial Declaration on the Expansion of Trade in Information Technology Products