1) WT/L/956 28 July 2015 (00-0000) Page: 1/9 General Council Original: English DECLARATION ON THE EXPANSION OF TRADE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS COMMUNICATION FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION The following communication, dated 28 July 2015, is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of the European Union. _______________ The following Members of the World Trade Organization ("WTO") which have agreed on the expansion of world trade in information technology products ("parties"). Albania Australia Canada China Costa Rica European Union Guatemala Hong Kong, China Iceland Israel Japan Korea Malaysia Montenegro New Zealand Norway Philippines Singapore Switzerland1 Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu Thailand United States Declare as follows: 1. Each party shall bind and eliminate customs duties and other duties and charges of any kind, within the meaning of Article II:1(b) of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994, as set forth below, with respect to the following: (a) all products classified with Harmonized System ("HS") 2007 sub-headings listed in Attachment A to this Declaration; and (b) all products specified in Attachment B to this Declaration, whether or not they are included in Attachment A. Staging 2. The parties shall apply three year staging in four equal annual reductions of customs duties, beginning in 2016 and concluding in 2019, as standard staging, unless otherwise agreed by the parties, recognizing that extended staging of reductions may be necessary in limited circumstances. The reduced rate should in each stage be rounded off to the first decimal. Each party shall incorporate commitments on staging for each product into its Schedule of Concessions to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 ("Schedule of Concessions"). 1 On behalf of the customs union of Switzerland and Lichtenstein.
2) WT/L/956 -2Implementation 3. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, and subject to the completion of domestic procedural requirements, each party shall eliminate all customs duties and other duties and charges of any kind on products listed in the Attachments as follows: (a) elimination of customs duties in equal steps, the first such rate reduction effective no later than 1 July 2016, the second such rate reduction no later than 1 July 2017, the third such rate reduction no later than 1 July 2018, and the elimination of customs duties shall be completed effective no later than 1 July 2019; and (b) elimination of such other duties and charges of any kind, within the meaning of Article II:1(b) of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 1994, shall be completed by 1 July 2016. Accelerated implementation 4. The parties encourage autonomous immediate elimination of customs duties or accelerated implementation prior to the dates set out in paragraph 3 above, for instance for products with relatively low customs duties. Scheduling timeframe 5. As early as possible, and no later than 30 October 2015, each party shall provide all other parties with a draft schedule containing (a) the details concerning how the appropriate duty treatment shall be provided in its Schedule of Concessions and (b) a list of detailed HS subheadings involved for products specified in Attachment B, which shall also include a headnote stating that such products shall be provided duty-free treatment wherever they are classified in the HS. Each draft schedule shall be reviewed and approved by the parties on a consensus basis taking into account the concerns expressed by the parties in the negotiations. This review process should be completed no later than 4 December 2015. 6. After this review process has been completed for any such draft schedule of a party, that party shall submit its approved schedule, subject to the completion of domestic procedural requirements, as a modification to its Schedule of Concessions, in accordance with the Decision of 26 March 1980 on Procedures for Modification and Rectification of Schedules of Tariff Concessions (BISD 27S/25). 7. Each party shall implement paragraphs 3 and 6 of this Declaration once the parties review and approve on a consensus basis draft schedules that represent approximately 90 per cent of world trade2 in the products covered by this Declaration. Format of draft schedules of concessions 8. In order to implement its binding and elimination of customs duties and other duties and charges of any kind on products listed in the Attachments, each party’s modifications to its Schedule of Concessions shall: (a) in the case of products classified with HS 2007 subheadings listed in Attachment A, create, where appropriate, sub-divisions in its Schedule of Concessions at the national tariff line level; and (b) in the case of the products specified in Attachment B, attach an annex to its Schedule of Concessions including all products in Attachment B, which is to specify the detailed tariff classification for those products at either the national tariff line level or the HS 6digit level. 2 To be calculated by the WTO Secretariat and communicated to the parties on the basis of the most recent data available.
3) WT/L/956 -3Acceptance 9. The Declaration shall be open for acceptance by all WTO Members. Acceptance shall be notified in writing to the WTO Director-General who shall communicate it to all parties. Non-tariff barriers 10. The parties agree to intensify consultations concerning non-tariff barriers in the information technology sector. To this effect, the parties support the possible development of an upgraded work programme on non-tariff barriers. Final considerations 11. Parties shall meet periodically, and at least one year prior to regular amendments to the Harmonized System nomenclature by the World Customs Organization, and no later than January 2018, to review the product coverage specified in the Attachments and consider whether, in the light of technological developments, experience in applying the tariff concessions, or changes to the HS nomenclature, the Attachments should be updated to incorporate additional products. 12. The parties recognize that the results of these negotiations involve concessions that should be taken into account in ongoing multilateral non-agricultural market access negotiations within the framework of the Doha Development Agenda. Attachments to this Declaration: ï‚· Attachment A lists the HS 2007 subheadings or parts thereof to be covered by this Declaration. ï‚· Attachment B lists specific products to be covered by this Declaration wherever they are classified in the HS 2007. _______________
4) WT/L/956 -4ATTACHMENT A Item 001 HS 2007 350691 ex * ex 002 003 004 005 006 007 370130 370199 370590 370790 390799 841459 ex ex 008 841950 ex 009 842010 ex 010 842129 ex 011 842139 ex 012 842199 ex 013 842320 ex 014 842330 ex 015 842381 ex 016 842382 ex 017 842389 ex 018 842390 ex 019 842489 ex 020 842490 ex 021 022 023 844230 844240 844250 024 844331 025 026 027 844332 844339 844391 028 029 844399 845610 ex 030 846693 ex Product Description Optically clear free-film adhesives and optically clear curable liquid adhesives of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of flat panel displays or touch-sensitive screen panels Other plates and film, with any side exceeding 255 mm Other Other Other Thermoplastic liquid crystal aromatic polyester copolymers Fans of a kind used solely or principally for cooling microprocessors, telecommunication apparatus, automatic data processing machines or units of automatic data processing machines Heat exchange units made of fluoropolymers and with inlet and outlet tube bores with inside diameters measuring 3 cm or less Roll laminators of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuit substrates or printed circuits Liquid filtering or purifying machinery and apparatus made of fluoropolymers and with filter or purifier membrane thickness not exceeding 140 microns Filtering or purifying machinery and apparatus for gases, with stainless steel housing, and with inlet and outlet tube bores with inside diameters not exceeding 1.3 cm Parts of filtering or purifying machinery and apparatus for liquids, made of fluoropolymers and with filter or purifier membrane thickness not exceeding 140 microns; parts of filtering or purifying machinery and apparatus for gases, with stainless steel housing, and with inlet and outlet tube bores with inside diameters not exceeding 1.3 cm Scales for continuous weighing of goods on conveyors using electronic means for gauging weights Constant weight scales and scales for discharging a predetermined weight of material into a bag or container, including hopper scales, using electronic means for gauging weight Other weighing machinery, having a maximum weighing capacity not exceeding 30 kg using electronic means for gauging weight Other weighing machinery, having a maximum weighing capacity exceeding 30 kg but not exceeding 5,000 kg using electronic means for gauging weight, excluding machines for weighing motor vehicles Other weighing machinery, having a maximum weighing capacity exceeding 5,000 kg using electronic means for gauging weight Parts of weighing machinery using electronic means for gauging weight, excluding parts of machines for weighing motor vehicles Mechanical appliances for projecting, dispersing, or spraying of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuits or printed circuit assemblies Parts of mechanical appliances for projecting, dispersing, or spraying of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuits or printed circuit assemblies Machinery, apparatus, and equipment Parts of the foregoing machinery, apparatus or equipment Plates, cylinders and other printing components; plates, cylinders and lithographic stones, prepared for printing purposes (for example, planed, grained or polished) Machines which perform two or more of the functions of printing, copying or facsimile transmission, capable of connecting to an automatic data processing machine or to a network Other, capable of connecting to an automatic data processing machine or to a network Other Parts and accessories of printing machinery used for printing by means of plates, cylinders and other printing components of heading 84.42 Other Machine tools operated by laser or other light or photon beam processes of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuits, printed circuit assemblies, parts of heading 8517, or parts of automatic data processing machines Parts and accessories of machine tools operated by laser or other light or photon beam processes of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuits, printed circuit assemblies, parts of heading 8517, or parts of automatic data processing machines; Parts and accessories of machine-tools operated by ultrasonic processes of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuits, printed circuit assemblies, parts of heading 8517, or parts of automatic data processing machines; Parts and accessories of machining centres of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of parts of heading 8517, or parts of automatic data processing
5) WT/L/956 -5Item HS 2007 ex * 031 032 033 034 035 036 037 038 039 847210 847290 847310 847340 847521 847590 847689 847690 847989 ex ex ex ex 040 847990 ex 041 042 848610 848620 043 044 045 046 047 048 049 848630 848640 848690 850440 850450 850490 850590 ex 050 851430 ex 051 851490 ex 052 851519 ex 053 851590 ex 054 055 851761 851762 056 057 058 059 060 061 062 851769 851770 851810 851821 851822 851829 851830 063 064 065 066 067 068 069 070 071 072 073 851840 851850 851890 851981 851989 852110 852190 852290 852321 852329 852340 Product Description machines; Parts and accessories of numerically controlled (other lathes) of a kind used solely or principally the manufacture of parts of heading 8517, or parts of automatic data processing machines; Parts and accessories of numerically controlled (other drilling) of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of parts of heading 8517, or parts of automatic data processing machines; Parts and accessories of numerically controlled (other milling machines) of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of parts of heading 8517, or parts of automatic data processing machines; Parts and accessories of sawing or cutting-off machines of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of parts of heading 8517, or parts of automatic data processing machines; Parts and accessories of machine-tools operated by electrodischarge processes of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuits, printed circuit assemblies, parts of heading 8517, or parts of automatic data processing machines Duplicating machines Other Parts and accessories of the machines of heading 8469 Parts and accessories of the machines of heading 8472 Machines for making optical fibers and preforms thereof Parts of machines of subheading 847521 Money-changing machines Parts of money-changing machines Automated electronic component placement machines of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuit assemblies Parts of automated electronic component placement machines of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuit assemblies Machines and apparatus for the manufacture of boules or wafers Machines and apparatus for the manufacture of semiconductor devices or of electronic integrated circuits Machines and apparatus for the manufacture of flat panel displays Machines and apparatus specified in Note 9(C) to this Chapter Parts and accessories Static converters Other Inductors Parts Electromagnets of a kind used solely or principally for magnetic resonance imaging apparatus other than electromagnets of heading 90.18 Other furnaces and ovens of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuits or printed circuit assemblies Parts of other furnaces and ovens of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuits or printed circuit assemblies Other wave soldering machines of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuit assemblies Parts of other wave soldering machines of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuit assemblies Base stations Machines for the reception, conversion and transmission or regeneration of voice, images or other data, including switching and routing apparatus Other Parts Microphones and stands therefor Single loudspeakers, mounted in their enclosures Multiple loudspeakers, mounted in the same enclosure Other Headphones and earphones, whether or not combined with a microphone, and sets consisting of a microphone and one or more loudspeakers Audio-frequency electric amplifiers Electric sound amplifier sets Parts Using magnetic, optical or semiconductor media Other Magnetic tape-type Other Other Cards incorporating a magnetic stripe Other Optical media
6) WT/L/956 -6Item 074 075 076 077 078 079 080 081 082 083 084 085 086 087 HS 2007 852351 852352 852359 852380 852550 852560 852580 852610 852691 852692 852712 852713 852719 852721 ex * 088 089 090 852729 852791 852792 091 092 093 094 095 852799 852849 852871 852910 852990 096 097 098 099 100 853180 853190 853630 853650 853690 101 853810 102 103 853939 854231 104 105 106 107 108 109 854232 854233 854239 854290 854320 854330 ex 110 854370 ex 111 112 113 114 854370 854370 854370 854370 ex ex ex ex 115 854370 ex 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 854390 880260 880390 880521 880529 900120 900190 900219 900220 900290 901050 ex ex ex ex ex ex ex Product Description Solid-state non-volatile storage devices "Smart cards" Other Other Transmission apparatus Transmission apparatus incorporating reception apparatus Television cameras, digital cameras and video camera recorders Radar apparatus Radio navigational aid apparatus Radio remote control apparatus Pocket-size radio cassette-players Other apparatus combined with sound recording or reproducing apparatus Other Radio-broadcast receivers not capable of operating without an external source of power, of a kind used in motor vehicles, combined with sound recording or reproducing apparatus capable of receiving and decoding digital radio data system signals Other Combined with sound recording or reproducing apparatus Not combined with sound recording or reproducing apparatus but combined with a clock Other Other Not designed to incorporate a video display or screen Aerials and aerial reflectors of all kinds; parts suitable for use therewith Other, excluding organic light emitting diode modules and organic light emitting diode panels for the apparatus of subheadings 8528.72 or 8528.73 Other apparatus excluding doorbells, chimes, buzzers and similar Parts Other apparatus for protecting electrical circuits Other switches Other apparatus, excluding battery clamp of a kind used for motor vehicles of heading 8702, 8703, 8704, or 8711 Boards, panels, consoles, desks, cabinets and other bases for the goods of heading 8537, not equipped with their apparatus Cold-cathode fluorescent lamps(CCFLs) for backlighting of flat panel displays Processors and controllers, whether or not combined with memories, converters, logic circuits, amplifiers, clock and timing circuits, or other circuits Memories Amplifiers Other Parts Signal generators Electroplating and electrolysis machines of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuits Articles specifically designed for connection to telegraphic or telephonic apparatus or instruments or to telegraphic or telephonic networks Microwave amplifiers Cordless infrared remote control devices for video game consoles Digital flight-data recorders Portable battery operated electronic reader for recording and reproducing text, still image or audio file Digital signal processing apparatus capable of connecting to a wired or wireless network for the mixing of sound Parts Telecommunications satellites Parts of telecommunication satellites Air combat simulators and parts thereof Other Sheets and plates of polarising material Other Other Filters Other Other apparatus and equipment for photographic (including cinematographic) laboratories; negatoscopes
7) WT/L/956 -7Item 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 HS 2007 901060 901090 901110 901180 901190 901210 901290 901310 135 136 901320 901390 137 138 901410 901420 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 901480 901490 901510 901520 901540 901580 901590 901811 901812 901813 901819 901820 901850 901890 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 902150 902190 902212 902213 902214 902219 902221 902229 902230 902290 902300 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 902410 902480 902490 902519 902590 902710 902780 902790 902830 902890 903010 903020 903031 903032 903033 903039 903084 903089 903090 903110 903149 903180 ex * ex ex ex ex ex ex Product Description Projection screens Parts and accessories of articles of subheadings 901050 and 901060 Stereoscopic microscopes Other microscopes Parts and accessories Microscopes other than optical microscopes; diffraction apparatus Parts and accessories Telescopes designed to form parts of machines, appliances, instruments or apparatus of this Chapter or Section XVI Lasers, other than laser diodes Parts and accessories, other than for telescopic sights for fitting to arms or for periscopes Direction finding compasses Instruments and appliances for aeronautical or space navigation (other than compasses) Other instruments and appliances Parts and accessories Rangefinders Theodolites and tachymeters (tacheometers) Photogrammetrical surveying instruments and appliances Other instruments and appliances Parts and accessories Electro-cardiographs Ultrasonic scanning apparatus Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus Other Ultra-violet or infra-red ray apparatus Other ophthalmic instruments and appliances Electro-surgical or electro-medical instruments and appliances, and parts and accessories thereof Pacemakers for stimulating heart muscles, excluding parts and accessories Other Computed tomography apparatus Other, for dental uses Other, for medical, surgical or veterinary uses For other uses For medical, surgical, dental or veterinary uses For other uses X-ray tubes Parts and accessories of apparatus based on the use of X-rays Instruments, apparatus and models, designed for demonstrational purposes (for example, in education or exhibitions), unsuitable for other uses Machines and appliances for testing metals Other machines and appliances Parts and accessories Other Parts and accessories Gas or smoke analysis apparatus Other instruments and apparatus Microtomes; parts and accessories Electricity meters Parts and accessories Instruments and apparatus for measuring or detecting ionising radiations Oscilloscopes and oscillographs Multimeters without a recording device Multimeters with a recording device Other, without a recording device, excluding resistance measuring instruments Other, with a recording device Other, with a recording device Other Parts and Accessories Machines for balancing mechanical parts Other Other instruments, appliances and machines
8) WT/L/956 -8Item 186 187 188 189 190 HS 2007 903190 903220 903281 950410 950430 ex * ex 191 950490 ex Product Description Parts and accessories Manostats Hydraulic or pneumatic Video games of a kind used with a television receiver Other games, operated by coins, banknotes, bank cards, token, or by any other means of payment, other than automatic bowling equipment and games of chance that immediately return a monetary award Video game consoles and machines, other than those of subheading 950430 * Partially covered subheadings are identified by the symbol "ex".
9) WT/L/956 -9ATTACHMENT B 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 Multi-component integrated circuits (MCOs): a combination of one or more monolithic, hybrid, or multi-chip integrated circuits with at least one of the following components: silicon-based sensors, actuators, oscillators, resonators or combinations thereof, or components performing the functions of articles classifiable under heading 8532, 8533, 8541, or inductors classifiable under heading 8504, formed to all intents and purposes indivisibly into a single body like an integrated circuit, as a component of a kind used for assembly onto a printed circuit board (PCB) or other carrier, through the connecting of pins, leads, balls, lands, bumps, or pads. For the purpose of this definition the following expressions mean: 1. "Components" may be discrete, manufactured independently then assembled onto the rest of the MCO, or integrated into other components. 2. "Silicon based" means built on a silicon substrate, or made of silicon materials, or manufactured onto integrated circuit die. (a). "Silicon based sensors" consist of microelectronic or mechanical structures that are created in the mass or on the surface of a semiconductor and that have the function of detecting physical or chemical quantities and transducing these into electric signals, caused by resulting variations in electric properties or displacement of a mechanical structure. "Physical or chemical quantities" relates to real world phenomena, such as pressure, acoustic waves, acceleration, vibration, movement, orientation, strain, magnetic field strength, electric field strength, light, radioactivity, humidity, flow, chemicals concentration, etc. 3(b). "Silicon based actuators" consist of microelectronic and mechanical structures that are created in the mass or on the surface of a semiconductor and that have the function of converting electrical signals into physical movement. 3(c). "Silicon based resonators" are components that consist of microelectronic or mechanical structures that are created in the mass or on the surface of a semiconductor and have the function of generating a mechanical or electrical oscillation of a predefined frequency that depends on the physical geometry of these structures in response to an external input. 3(d). "Silicon based oscillators" are active components that consist of microelectronic or mechanical structures that are created in the mass or on the surface of a semiconductor and that have the function of generating a mechanical or electrical oscillation of a predefined frequency that depends on the physical geometry of these structures. Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Backlights modules, which are lighting sources that consist of one or more LEDs, and one or more connectors and are mounted on a printed circuit or other similar substrate, and other passive components, whether or not combined with optical components or protective diodes, and used as backlights illumination for liquid crystal displays (LCDs) Touch-Sensitive Data Input Devices (so-called touch screens) without display capabilities, for incorporation into apparatus having a display, which function by detecting the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The sensing of touch may be obtained by means of resistance, electrostatic capacity, acoustic pulse recognition, infra-red lights, or other touch-sensitive technology Ink cartridges (with or without an integrated print head) for insertion into apparatus of HS subheadings 844331, 844332 or 844339, and incorporating mechanical or electrical components; thermoplastic or electrostatic toner cartridges (with or without moving parts) for insertion into apparatus of HS subheadings 844331, 844332 or 844339; solid ink in engineered shapes for insertion into apparatus of HS subheadings 844331, 844332 or 844339 Printed matter which grants the right to access, install, reproduce or otherwise use software (including games), data, internet content (including in-game or in-application content) or services, or telecommunications services (including mobile services)** Self-adhesive circular polishing pads of a kind used for the manufacture of semiconductor wafers Boxes, cases, crates and similar articles, of plastic, specially shaped or fitted for the conveyance or packing of semiconductor wafers, masks, or reticles, of subheading 392310 or 848690 Vacuum pumps of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of semiconductors or flat panel displays Plasma cleaner machines that remove organic contaminants from electron microscopy specimens and specimen holders Portable interactive electronic education devices primarily designed for children ** The tariff elimination for printed matter shall only affect the rights and obligations with respect to trade in goods, that is, it shall not affect market access other than tariffs of the participants. Nothing in the ITA expansion agreement shall prevent an ITA member from regulating the content of such goods, including Internet content, among other things. Nothing in the ITA expansion agreement shall affect a member's market access rights and obligations on trade in services or prevent a member from regulating its services market. __________
