ITA Expansion Talks Continue
Multilateral talks on expansion of the
WTO Information Technology Agreement
(ITA) entered a second week of resumed negotiation this week in Geneva, with negotiators working hard to reach agreement prior to the WTO's December ministerial meeting.
The agreement, if concluded, would represent the largest tariff elimination agreement since the ITA was born 17 years ago.
China, which is viewed by many to be the largest potential beneficiary of an expanded agreement, has been the slowest to show signs of compromise on its list of "sensitivities", frustrating negotiators, and sending worrying signals about China's willingness to broker future global trade agreements.
