Trade in information technology : products and the WTO agreements : current situation and views o...

Acknowledgements p. iii
Tables p. xi
Figures p. xiii
Boxes p. xiii
Note p. xiv
Executive Summary p. 1
Purpose and Scope of This Study p. 6
Scope of the Information Technology Agreement p. 6
Regional and country coverage p. 7
Desk and field research p. 7
Analysis p. 8
The World Market For Information Technology Products p. 9
The Global Market: Size and Growth Trends p. 10
International trade p. 10
The global market for IT products p. 12
Electronic Data-Processing Equipment p. 14
Background p. 14
International trade in EDP products p. 14
Market for electronic data-processing products p. 16
Personal computers p. 18
Workstations p. 20
Multi-user servers p. 21
The EDP industry p. 21
Trends in technology p. 23
Business trends in the EDP sector p. 25
Trade in Telecommunications Equipment p. 26
Background p. 26
International trade p. 26
The market for telecommunications equipment p. 29
The telecommunications equipment industry p. 30
Business trends in the telecommunications sector p. 32
Semiconductor Components: Integrated Circuits and Discrete Components p. 33
Background p. 33
International trade p. 33
The market for semiconductors p. 35
The semiconductor industry p. 37
Technology trends p. 39
Developments in the semiconductor sector p. 39
Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment p. 41
Background p. 41
International trade p. 41
The market for semiconductor manufacturing equipment p. 41
The semiconductor manufacturing equipment industry p. 44
Technology trends p. 45
Developments in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment sector p. 45
Software and Services p. 47
Background p. 47
The software and services market and international trade p. 47
The North American market p. 48
The European market p. 49
The Asia-Pacific market p. 51
Computer software industry p. 52
Technology trends p. 54
Latest developments in software and services p. 55
The WTO Agreements, Related Developments and Field Research Findings p. 57
A Brief Look at the WTO and its agreements p. 58
The World Trade Organization p. 58
Functions p. 58
Structure p. 58
The WTO Agreement p. 59
Treatment of developing and least developed countries on a different footing p. 60
General Agreement on Trade in Services p. 60
BTA and ITA p. 60
BTA and ITA: The Costs and Benefits of Liberalization in the Info-Communication Industry p. 62
Demand for telecommunications services and IT products p. 64
Implications of the Agreement on Basic Telecommunications Services p. 66
Evolution of prices and traffic in liberalized markets p. 66
Performance of incumbent operators p. 68
Effects of competition on infrastructure development p. 70
Implementation challenges p. 71
Implications of ITA p. 73
Conclusions p. 77
The Information Technology Agreement p. 79
The Agreement p. 80
Membership p. 80
Product coverage p. 81
Schedules for tariff reduction p. 82
Impact analysis of ITA p. 82
Business and government responses p. 83
Responses to ITA p. 86
Latest developments in ITA p. 87
Agreement on Basic Telecommunications Services p. 89
Objectives of the Agreement p. 91
Trade in telecommunications services p. 91
Developed countries p. 93
Developing countries p. 93
The telecommunications service industry p. 94
Impact analysis p. 95
Policy issues p. 96
Initial business and government responses to BTA p. 97
Foreign Direct Investment in the It Sector p. 100
Direction of FDI flows p. 100
The role of TNCs in ITA p. 101
Acquisitions and mergers p. 104
Major trends in FDI p. 104
An FDI strategy for developing countries p. 105
WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade p. 107
Mandatory and voluntary standards p. 108
Quality system certification p. 109
Conformity assessment p. 112
Impact of standards on international trade in ITA products p. 112
Technical assistance needs of developing countries in quality management p. 114
Conformity Assessment in the European Union p. 115
The free movement of products p. 115
EOTC: a focal point for Europe's conformity assessment services p. 116
Accreditation p. 117
EOTC forums p. 118
TICQA database p. 118
Promotion and Application of Certification and Testing p. 119
Helping exporters in developing countries p. 119
Environmental Issues and Strategies: ITA Products p. 120
Environmental legislation and framework p. 120
Implications of existing and evolving policies p. 122
Business community response p. 124
The Wto Agreement: Summary of Field Research Findings p. 125
Summary of views by country/region p. 126
European Union p. 126
Japan p. 129
China p. 130
India p. 133
Malaysia p. 135
Pakistan p. 137
Philippines p. 140
Republic of Korea p. 142
Thailand p. 144
Summary of views by subject area p. 147
Markets p. 147
Industry p. 147
Investment and trade p. 148
Technology p. 148
Research and development p. 149
Transnational corporations p. 149
After-sales services p. 149
International trading environment p. 150
Strategic Directions for it Exporters p. 151
It Products: Export Opportunities and Challenges for Developing Countries p. 152
It market opportunities p. 152
Computer software p. 152
Contract manufacturing in electronics p. 152
Telecommunications p. 153
Semiconductors p. 153
Emerging applications p. 153
Investment opportunities p. 154
Technology trends p. 154
Pricing trends p. 154
Globalization and industrial competitiveness in ITA p. 155
Appendices
Questionnaire on the Uruguay Round Agreements and Their Impact on The International Trade in Information Technology p. 159
Sources of Statistical and Other Information p. 162
Detailed Sitc Codes for ITA Products p. 164
Exports and Imports of it Products, By Country/Area, 1993-1997 p. 166
Exports and Imports of ITA Products, By Product and By Country/Region, 1992-1995 p. 172
Agreement Between Elaj and Sia on International Cooperation Regarding Semiconductors p. 176
Exports and Imports of Attachment B Products and Their Geographical Distribution p. 181
Telecommunications Revenues of Wto Members, 1996 p. 184
Standardization Bodies (Iso Members) p. 187
Eotc: Some Basic Information p. 196