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World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Round

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Position statement

The World Trade Organization (WTO) launched the Doha Development Agenda, or Doha Round, trade negotiations in 2001. The Doha Round presents an important opportunity to improve market access and eliminate or prevent trade barriers in industrial (nonagricultural) goods, agricultural goods, and services across a wide range of developed and developing countries for the 151 members of the WTO. Trade liberalization is essential for the U.S. and global economies. Services account for about 40 percent of global employment and success in the Doha Round could yield a global welfare gain of $1.7 trillion.

As part of the Doha Round, IBM is pursuing the following objectives:

Services

  • Obtain commitments for full liberalization (market access and national treatment) of Computer and Related Services.
  • Ensure that commitments cover technologically evolving IT services, including Internet delivery and bundled IT services.
  • Obtain as many commitments as possible at the "two-digit level" (CPC 84).
  • Obtain commitments for full liberalization of Management Consulting Services (CPC 865) and Services Related to Management Consulting (CPC 866).
  • Maximize liberalization for all services that can be delivered electronically.

Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA)

  • Eliminate remaining tariffs on IT products and advance work on preventing technical barriers to trade.

E-Commerce

  • Ensure that software delivered electronically is treated no less favorably than software delivered on a physical medium (e.g., CD-ROM).
  • Make permanent the moratorium on the application of customs duties to electronic transmissions.

Trade Facilitation

  • Support the successful conclusion of a trade facilitation agreement.

Status:

As of June 1, 2006, 70 Members had submitted services offers, including 31 that had submitted both initial and revised offers. Publicly available offers are available at the following links:

In addition, some Members have also joined in making "plurilateral", or collective, requests in certain sectors. At the end of February 2006, 16 Members submitted a plurilateral request in Computer and Related Services to their major trading partners. This request calls for full market access and national treatment commitments for the sector as a whole at the two-digit level.

IBM will continue to track progress of these negotiations and encourage WTO Members to make commitments of full liberalization (full market access and national treatment) in Computer and Related Services, Management Consulting Services, and Services Related to Management Consulting, as well as other services sectors. IBM will also to continue to urge Members to make appropriate commitments in NAMA, e-commerce and trade facilitation to promote trade in IT products and services.

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