Overview
TIA's advocacy on trade policy issues is conducted in a variety of ways. We regularly submit filings for the United States Trade Representative's (USTR) annual Section 1377 review of international compliance with telecommunications trade agreements, as well as its annual National Trade Estimate Report-Standards and National Trade Estimate Report-General Trade, which details significant foreign trade barriers to U.S. exports. Additionally, we submit letters supporting free-trade agreements to leading members of Congress. In order to communicate our members' concerns and advocate on their behalf, we participate in trade coalitions with other associations. We also conduct meetings with, and submit comments to, U.S. government officials at USTR, the Department of Commerce, the Department of State, the U.S. International Trade Commission and foreign governments. Moreover, TIA promotes the enforcement of existing trade agreements, the concept of technology neutrality, and the principles of transparency, non-discrimination and independence of regulatory authorities. Developed through member-company consensus, these trade principles guide the association's trade policy messages.
We hope that China will use this break in the negotiations to reexamine its approach to the negotiations to expand the ITA and focus on reducing its overly large list of sensitive products. If China is ready to move forward to conclude the expansion of the ITA this year then the ITA Expansion is achievable this year.
As part of a large U.S. industry delegation representing a broad array of ICT manufacturers, TIA is in Geneva, Switzerland this week to cheer on the trade negotiators who are working hard to conclude the negotiations to expand the product coverage of the WTO’s Information Technology Agreement (ITA). The ITA remains one of the most commercially important WTO trade agreements – by eliminating tariffs on a broad range of ICT products, the ITA lowers the cost and improves access to these products, which are vital to the economic competitiveness of all economies around the world.
The Telecommunications Industry Association was in Geneva last week along with AdvaMed, the Consumer Electronics Association, the Entertainment Software Association, the Information Technology Industry Council, the Liquid Crystal Polymer Coalition, the Motion Picture Association of America, and the Semiconductor Industry Association. This coalition of high-tech companies represents a broad spectrum of manufacturers and service providers in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector.
Last week was a busy one at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland. The signs are very encouraging that the member countries of the WTO are back on track to move the WTO’s trade liberalization agenda forward – from the new International Services Agreement (ISA) to the ongoing negotiations to expand the existing WTO Information Technology Agreement (ITA).
