By Felicity Ussher, 20 July 1998 06:40
NEWS The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has announced it has no plans to cut tariffs on IT products at present. Industry observers had expected an announcement of free trade in printed circuit boards, telecommunications equipment and flat-panel displays. Lengthy discussions in Geneva fell through late on Friday, after the 44 member nations were unable to agree on which products should be included on the list. Martin Harvey, who chaired the WTO committee on the Information Technology Agreement (ITA), said the interests and sensitivities of participants had prevented a consensus. Industry watchers claim an agreement could have led to a worldwide drop in prices if protective tariffs were removed. Harvey said that he aims to resume negotiations in September, once member states have reviewed their positions. The main focus of conflict is thought to be whether the price of televisions and video players should remain protected.
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