Want China Post
Date: 2015-07-25
By: CNA
Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said Saturday that Taiwan is expected to join a
A headphone store in Taipei, Nov. 11, 2012. (File photo/Wang Yuan-mao)
newly concluded information technology agreement by the World Trade Organization (WTO) after it completes a consultation process with local industrial associations next week.
A total of 54 WTO members, including Taiwan, reached an IT agreement in Geneva Friday to allow a wide range of high-tech devices valued at about US$1.3 billion a year to enjoy tariff-free status. The IT agreement is the first update to the WTO’s trade accord in 18 years.
However, Taiwan is one of the five countries that did not sign the agreement, although the country is one of the 54 participating WTO members to conclude the deal.
During the negotiations, Taiwan had insisted that flat panels should be included into the tariff-free status as flat screens are one of the country’s major IT exports. But Taiwan failed to persuade other negotiating participants to include flat panels into the agreement so it did not sign the new IT agreement. [FULL STORY]
