ITA Helps Ensure a Level Playing Field for Information and Communication Technology Services in Japan
May 31, 2013
(ITA)
The Department of Commerce’s International
Trade Administration (ITA) helped U.S. ICT
services firms compete on equal footing in the
$56 billion Japanese ICT market. ITA ensured
that these firms were provided opportunities to
comment on the development of new Japanese ICT
requirements, especially in the area of cloud
computing.
Why it Matters
Japan’s $56 billion ICT services market is one
of the most important for U.S. exporters of ICT
services. Recently agreed upon U.S.-Japan trade
principles are expected to help U.S. ICT
services firms avoid non-tariff barriers in
Japan. In addition, the U.S. Government intends
to promote wide adoption of these principles by
other countries to support the global
development of ICT services, and thereby
benefit U.S. exporters.
The Problem
The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan
expressed concerns to the U.S. Department of
Commerce and the Office of the U.S. Trade
Representative (USTR) that Japan could
potentially formulate new rules or amend
existing rules affecting the evolving ICT field
of cloud computing and that all interested
parties may not be afforded non- discriminatory
opportunities to comment on the development of
the new requirements. Such discrimination could
have implications under the World Trade
Organization (WTO) Technical Barriers to Trade
Agreement, the WTO Agreement on Government
Procurement, and the WTO Agreement on Trade in
Services and could impede or delay the export
of innovative U.S. ICT services to Japan.
The Solution
The Department of Commerce, working closely
with USTR, in January 2012, helped produce a
set of trade-related principles jointly with
the Government of Japan called the United
States-Japan Trade Principles for Information
and Communication Technology Services. Among
the most important of the jointly-agreed
principles is that both governments will
undertake to ensure all laws, regulations,
procedures, and administrative rulings of
general application affecting ICT and trade in
ICT services are published or otherwise made
publicly available, and if possible subject to
comment procedures. While the principles do not
create any legally binding obligations, both
governments intend to promote the
implementation of these principles within their
bilateral economic relationship and in their
trade negotiations with third countries. The
principles are expected to help U.S. companies,
which are leaders in the field of ICT services,
to compete on a level playing field with their
foreign rivals.
Working closely with U.S. companies, ITA
creates, expands, and defends market access for
U.S. goods and services overseas. “We promote
policy that develops a more favorable business
climate for U.S. companies in global markets;
we employ commercial diplomacy to resolve trade
barriers; and we leverage our bilateral and
multilateral trade agreements to ensure our
trading partners live up to their commitments
so that our businesses can compete on a
level-playing field.” - Assistant Secretary for
Market Access and Compliance, Michael C.
Camuñez.
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