 |
Press Release
| For Immediate Release October 25, 2005 |
Contact: Heather Smith (202) 626-5740 |
ITI Applauds Launch of ABCDoha Coalition
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) today applauded the formal launch of the ABCDoha Coalition.
"Trade liberalization and a successful completion of the Doha Development Round are crucial policy objectives for the high tech industry," said Rhett Dawson, ITI's President and CEO.
"With over 60 percent of industry revenues derived from foreign markets, progress in the Doha Round will have a significantly positive influence on the long-term prospects for our industry. We welcome the formation of this important broad-based coalition to support the Doha agenda."
The high-tech industry is the single largest merchandise exporter in the United States, totaling $191 billion in 2004, up $20 billion from 2003. IT services and software now account for twothirds of the worldwide IT market. The global IT services and software sectors have grown at a compound annual rate of 11.2% since 1996, compared to only 2.7% for the hardware sector.
The WTO Doha Round provides critical opportunities to increase market access for US hightech products and services, including:
- Eliminating tariffs on IT/electronic products
- Eliminating non-tariff barriers on IT/electronics products
- Promoting trade in digital products
- Expanding liberalization in services
- Advancing global E-commerce
- Liberalizing government procurement practices
- Strengthening protection of intellectual property
ABOUT ITI
The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) is an elite group
of the nation's top high-tech companies and is widely recognized as
the tech industry's most effective lobbying organization in Washington.
ITI helps member companies achieve their policy objectives through building
relationships with Members of Congress, Administration officials, and
foreign governments; organizing industry-wide consensus on policy issues;
and working to enact tech-friendly government policies.
###
