HIGH TECH ASSOCIATIONS VOW CLOSE COOPERATION ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT

04.18.2008

HIGH TECH ASSOCIATIONS VOW CLOSE COOPERATION ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT

KYOTO, JAPAN – Improved collaboration in trade, energy and the environment are likely outcomes of a high tech association conference in Japan, Information Technology Industry Council President Rhett Dawson announced today. Dawson made his comments following the fourth annual meeting of the key high tech associations from the United States, Europe and Japan.

“Everyone benefits when the high-tech community speaks with one voice,” said Dawson. “By agreeing to important trade policies and principles, we encourage innovation, improve productivity and increase global prosperity. At the same time, we are all focused on energy and the environment. Together, we will demonstrate that technologies can boost economic productivity while simultaneously reversing global climate change.”

The Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association hosted this week’s meeting in Japan, which also included, the Consumer Electronics Association, and the European Information and Communications Technology Industry Association. Known as the Trilateral, this was the fourth annual gathering of the associations.

In a joint statement, ITI and the other associations agreed to numerous policy prescriptions and priorities, including:

Trade
The letter and the spirit of the WTO’s Information Technology Agreement (ITA) must be maintained and the commitment by its 71 signatories to eliminate tariffs on high-tech products respected. (In recent years, the European Union has been slapping high tariffs on ITA-covered products that should be receiving zero-tariff treatment.)

Given the importance the high-tech community attaches to countries adhering to global standards, China should refrain from requiring government-mandated testing to unique Chinese standards relating to information security.

WTO members must quickly make the commitments necessary to set the stage for concluding the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations this year.

Free trade agreements (FTAs) should remain important and complementary tools for reaching the larger goal of multilateral trade liberalization.

Governments should re-examine copyright levies and restrict their expansion, as such taxes on technology products are artifacts of the pre-digital era.

Environment
Investments in high-tech products should be expanded, since they generate significant productivity gains and net savings of energy across the economy, helping customers and countries meet global climate change commitments.

The high-tech community can best satisfy its commitment to product energy efficiency and conservation by continuing to lead through technological innovation and voluntary, market-oriented approaches.

The challenge of electronics recycling is a shared responsibility for all stakeholders. The high-tech industry must take a significant leadership role in this area by supporting activities that promote cost-effective and environmentally efficient collection, recycling and recovery systems for end-of-life electronics.

A coordinated global approach to product design requirements is critical to maintaining open markets and encouraging the safe and effective use of materials in the production of electronic products. Industry will continue to drive towards common approaches that emphasize consistent and transparent processes based on sound science.

Industry will further support voluntary, market-oriented public procurement initiatives. These programs play a critical and positive role in advancing product design by rewarding companies that introduce environmentally superior products and practices to the marketplace.

ABOUT ITI

The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) represents the nation’s leading high-tech companies and works to advance public policies that boost innovation and global prosperity. ITI helps member companies achieve their policy objectives through building relationships with Members of Congress, Administration officials, and foreign governments; organizing industry-wide consensus on policy issues; and working to enact tech-friendly government policies.

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