Press Releases

Arlington, VA (July 24, 2015) - The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the leading association representing the manufacturers and suppliers of high-tech communications networks, today commended Information Technology Agreement (ITA) ambassadors and negotiators at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for finalizing negotiations on the agreement to remove trade barriers for more than 200 types of high-tech products.

The updated ITA, brokered by the U.S. and the World Trade Organization, removes tariffs on roughly $1 trillion of annual global sales of tech products and would add approximately $190 billion annually to global GDP. Forty-nine out of 54 participating countries have signed the agreement to expand ITA and it is expected that the remaining countries will sign on in the near future to move forward with implementation.

TIA CEO Scott Belcher released the following statement on the agreement:

“The expanded ITA will benefit consumers and businesses alike and is a major victory for the tech sector. By removing tariffs on the next generation of high-tech products, this agreement will expand the production and trade of innovative technologies, lower costs and facilitate $1 trillion in global sales. We commend U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and his team for their efforts in negotiating this landmark deal and look forward to the remaining countries quickly signing on so that implementation of the ITA can move forward.”