Participants in the World Trade Organization’s Information Technology Agreement (ITA) and ITA Expansion Agreement met with private sector leaders and technical experts today to discuss the Agreement’s critical role in boosting global digital connectivity, fostering economic growth, and driving digital transformation worldwide. The session, organized by the ITA Committee and the UK Permanent Mission to the WTO, focused on sharing experiences to expand participation and address trade challenges.
The thematic session served as a key platform for newly acceded ITA participants to detail their journeys and outcomes. Notably, presentations from Least Developed Countries (LDCs), including Timor-Leste and Lao PDR, highlighted the specific challenges and opportunities LDCs face in implementing the Agreement, such as coordinating domestic priorities and identifying key products for commitment schedules.
Private sector stakeholders from the Philippines, the European Union, and the United States unanimously reaffirmed the significant economic impact of the ITA, citing its direct contributions to job creation, attraction of foreign investment, and the acceleration of technological development across countries at varying stages of economic development. Further underscoring the ITA’s importance, Japan shared a recent analysis on the Agreement conducted by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
The Chair of the ITA Committee, Mr. Andrei Rusu (Romania), underscored the necessity of the Agreement in closing connectivity gaps. “The ITA plays a critical role in addressing digital connectivity issues,” Mr. Rusu said. “The future competitiveness of economies will depend on how quickly they embrace and adapt to technological changes.”
This session marks the first of three planned thematic meetings, with upcoming sessions scheduled through 2026. Future discussions will delve into the ITA’s role in promoting artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, and how the Agreement supports e-commerce while helping to bridge the digital divide.
In the subsequent Committee meeting, ITA participants focused on reducing friction in IT trade. Members agreed to voluntarily conduct a new survey to gather data on non-tariff measures (NTMs) and barriers impacting traded IT products. The Committee also successfully advanced its work on resolving long-standing issues concerning product classification divergence, setting a clear roadmap for resolution.
Members also recognized positive steps taken by participants, praising Indonesia for the recent removal of tariffs on mobile phones. Discussions were also held regarding market access issues, with Members seeking clarification on certain import duties implemented by Egypt on cell phone imports.
The next formal meeting of the ITA Committee is tentatively scheduled for 15 April 2026.
