REPORT (2022) OF THE COMMITTEE OF PARTICIPANTS ON THE EXPANSION
OF TRADE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS

1.1.  The Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Trade in Information Technology Products, hereinafter referred to as "the Committee", was established pursuant to the provisions of the Ministerial Declaration on Trade in Information Technology Products (WT/MIN(96)/16), hereinafter referred to as "the Ministerial Declaration", and the provisions for the Implementation of the Ministerial Declaration on Trade in Information Technology Products (G/L/160), in order to carry out the provisions of paragraphs 3, 5, 6, and 7 of the Annex to the Declaration.

1.2.  The Committee's rules of procedure provide for observer status to WTO Members that are not participants to the Ministerial Declaration, and governments that are observers to the Council for Trade in Goods. Requests for observer status by international intergovernmental organizations are considered on a case‑by‑case basis. The International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have been granted observer status, and the World Customs Organization (WCO) has been granted observer status to meetings where issues of HS classification and HS amendments are included on the agenda.

1.3.  The Committee has held two formal meetings and one informal meeting in 2022. The Committee's formal meetings were held on 6 April and 11 October and their minutes are contained in documents G/IT/M/76 and G/IT/M/77, respectively. The Committee also held an informal meeting on 20 September 2022 regarding the possible hosting of a dialogue session by IT industry representatives during the Public Forum.

1.4.  Ms Katarzyna Stecz (Poland) (Chairperson of the Committee for 2021) chaired the Committee's work until 27 May 2022. On 30 May 2022, through a written procedure, the Committee elected by acclamation Mr Hazrul Imran Azahar (Malaysia) as Chairperson for the period of 2022‑2023.

1.5.  As of 11 October, the total number of WTO Members that are participants to the Ministerial Declaration is 83. The Committee has consistently reviewed the status of implementation, a summary of which is provided in document G/IT/1 and its revisions.^[1]

1.6.  At the Committee's meeting of 6 April, the Chairperson informed the Committee that three governments in the process of WTO accession, namely the Republic of Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, had requested to join the ITA. All three draft ITA Schedules had been circulated to ITA Participants for their consideration and approval. A number of delegations stated that they did not support Belarus' participation to the ITA.

1.7.  At the Committee's meetings in April and October 2022, a discussion regarding the United Kingdom's participation in the ITA continued.

1.8.  A trade concern regarding Indonesia's implementation issues was raised at the Committee's meeting in April and reiterated at its meeting in October.

1.9.  The Committee continued its deliberations on the Non‑Tariff Measures (NTMs) Work Programme in 2022. Regarding its work on the EMC/EMI Pilot Project, the Committee noted that, among current participants, 43 had provided survey responses. The Committee encouraged those that had not yet done so to provide the information without any further delay.

1.10.  On classification divergences, with regard to the possible HS2007 classification for the remaining 22 "Attachment B" items, the Secretariat had so far received comments from 21 delegations, which were compiled in document G/IT/W/40 and its Addenda and Supplements. The Committee encouraged delegations that had not yet provided their comments to do so as soon as possible in order to arrive at a common classification for these products within the existing HS nomenclature.

1.11.  On product coverage, the Committee took note of the reports and updates from those participants that were engaged in the 2015 ITA Expansion (WT/L/956 and WT/MIN(15)/25) and its implementation.

1.12.  Regarding new participants, as a result of Lao PDR's participation to the ITA and ITA Expansion Agreements, modifications to its Goods Schedule (circulated in documents G/MA/TAR/RS/662 and G/MA/TAR/RS/663) were certified in documents WT/LET/1564 and WT/LET/1565.

1.13.  An ITA Information and Dialogue Session with IT Industry Representatives was held on Wednesday, 28 September, on the margins of the Public Forum. Four industry representatives^[2] delivered presentations on semiconductor global value chains and shared the experiences and perspectives of their specific companies regarding the benefits of the ITA. At its meeting of 11 October, the Committee listened to the feedback of Participants on the ITA Information and Dialogue Session with IT Industry Representatives.