August 16, 2010

1. On the 16th of August 2010, the WTO released a Panel Report   examining WTO-inconsistency of customs duties imposed by the European Union and its Member States on certain products covered by the Information Technology Agreement (ITA), the case of which was commenced pursuant to Japan’s request.  

2. The Report fully supported all the claims of Japan and ruled that various EU measures concerning the imposition of custom duties on such ITA products were inconsistent with the WTO Agreement.

3. Japan welcomes the Panel’s ruling as a ground-breaking victory achieved through a long and close cooperation between the Japanese government and the industry.  It is also of a great significance in demonstrating that the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism is effective for protecting our legitimate export interests.

4. Japan strongly requests that the European Union accept the Panel’s ruling, and accordingly, remove the WTO-inconsistent tariff treatment immediately.