Tuesday, August 17, 2010

WTO Says No to Hi-tech Duties in EU

(Industry Week – Agence France-Presse)

The World Trade Organization has backed the United States, Japan and Taiwan in their complaint against EU duties on high-technology products, according to a ruling published on August 16.

"Having found that the European Communities has acted inconsistently ... we recommend that the Dispute Settlement Body request the European Communities to bring the relevant measures into conformity with its obligations," the WTO panel of arbitrators said.

The plaintiffs had accused the EU of violating the WTO's Information Technology Agreement by imposing duties on imports of products including television set-top boxes, flat-screen panels and printers with multiple functions. Read more here.