Meanwhile, Viet Nam intends also to sign up to the Information Technology Agreement (ITA), in which a sub-group of WTO members has agreed to allow information technology products to be imported duty-free. Its draft schedule is about to be circulated and this is expected to be adopted “ad referendum” in the ITA Committee on 21 July. (“Ad referendum” means allowing countries time to scrutinize the documents and possibly raise objections before it officially takes effect).
Viet Nam's comments
Viet Nam's Trade Minister Truong Dinh Tuyen said his country sees membership as of crucial importance. The reforms as well as membership itself will be necessary for Viet Nam's economic growth and will also make a “modest” contribution to the expansion of the global economy, he told the working party.
He listed the actions Viet Nam has taken and some of its commitments. These included 24 laws and numerous regulations, including commercial, enterprise and intellectual property laws, and pledges to implement the WTO's Sanitary and Phytosanitary and Technical Barriers to Trade agreements immediately instead of Viet Nam's original request to delay these for two years.
Although Viet Nam is a low income developing country in transition, it is being asked to make commitments that go beyond those of current members in a similar position, the minister said.
He cited Viet Nam's agreement to scrap agricultural export subsidies immediately as anexample and asked members to be flexible.
20240620103915.png)
-Ltd..jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Thermore (Far East) Ltd.")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSllC Ltd)")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF)")
