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Information Technology Agreement
The Information Technology Agreement (ITA) was concluded by 29 participants at the Singapore Ministerial Conference in December 1996. Since then, the number of participants has grown to 84, representing about 97 per cent of world trade in IT products. The participants are committed to completely eliminating tariffs on IT products covered by the Agreement. At the Nairobi Ministerial Conference in December 2015, over 50 members concluded the expansion of the Agreement, which now covers an additional 201 products valued at over $1.3 trillion per year.
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Introduction
The Information Technology Agreement was concluded in December 1996 at the first WTO Ministerial Conference held in Singapore.
World exports of ITA products have more than quadrupled since 1996, reaching USD 2.5 trillion in 2021.
The export of products under the expansion of the ITA, agreed in 2015, is estimated at about USD 2.1 trillion.
Information Technology Agreement — introduction
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The mandate
The mandate of the ITA is to eliminate and bind customs duties and other duties and charges (ODCs) at zero for around 200 IT products as listed in the Annex of the Ministerial Declaration, ensuring duty-free trade among WTO members. This commitment is incorporated into WTO members' schedules of concessions and applied on a most-favoured nation (MFN) basis, meaning even non-participants benefit from the tariff eliminations. The ITA also includes provisions for expanding product coverage and addressing non-tariff barriers to reflect technological advancements and evolving trade needs.
Find decisions of WTO bodies concerning the information technology agreement in the Disputes by Subject — Guide to WTO Law and Practice.
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ITA participants
The ITA requires each participant to eliminate and bind customs duties and other duties and charges at zero for ITA products in its tariff schedules. Participants?schedules are available here.
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An overview of the implementation status of the ITA, including the most updated list of participating members and the status of the incorporation of their commitments into WTO schedules of concessions, is available here. This document is regularly updated.
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Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Trade in Information Technology Products
The Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Trade in Information Technology Products oversees the implementation of the Agreement on the Expansion of Trade in Information Technology Products and provides a forum for members to raise and address related questions and concerns. The current chair is .
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ITA Expansion
- Ministerial Declaration on the Expansion of Trade in Information Technology Products
- Draft ITA Expansion Schedules
- Briefing Note: Expansion of Trade in IT Products