Quick Links

Mobile Security Industry News

[May 28, 2008]

LEAD: Japan files WTO complaint against EU for 1st time+

(Japan Economic Newswire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) TOKYO, May 28_(Kyodo) _ (EDS: ADDING DETAILS)

Japan took legal action Wednesday against the European Union for the first time under World Trade Organization rules, saying EU tariffs on multi-function printers, computer monitors and cable television converters are unfairly high, Japanese officials said.

This is the first time that Japan has filed a complaint with the WTO since 2004, the officials said.

The United States on the same day also brought the case against the European Union to the Geneva-based organization, the officials said.

The trade dispute centers on the interpretation of the WTO's Information Technology Agreement, under which duties on high-tech products having connections to computers are completely eliminated with some limited exceptions.

Currently, the European Union imposes a tariff of 6 percent on printers with other capabilities, such as copying, faxing and scanning, as it regards them as copiers, which are outside the scope of the 1996 IT agreement.

Japan and the United States claim that multi-functional printers should be regarded as IT products as they are accessible by personal computers.

Japan and the United States have set the tariff rate at zero percent on printers with multiple functions. Printers, fax machines and scanners are included in the items subject to the IT accord. The European Union also levies no duties on these products.

"It is true that such printers were not in the market when the accord was concluded in 1996. But it is very apparent that we use them as printers rather than copy machines," a Japanese industry ministry official said.

The trade value of multi-functional printers exported by Japanese makers to the 27-nation European bloc in 2006 amounted to about 295 billion yen, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Japanese companies hardly export the other products -- flat-screen computer displays and cable television set-top boxes -- to the EU market, according to the ministry.

The European Union imposes a 14-percent duty on computer displays, contending that they have electric-appliance functions as well these days, such as showing videos and television programs.

As for cable television converters, the European Union treats them as video players and levies a tariff of 13.9 percent.

Even after the complaint, Japan and the European Union may be able to settle the dispute through "out of court" bilateral negotiations.

But if that fails, a WTO dispute-settlement panel will be established around September or later, and the whole legal process is expected to run for about one year, according to the ministry.

Strong requests from Japanese and U.S. industry communities prompted Tokyo and Washington officials to address the issue.

"We have engaged in talks with our European counterparts in the past couple of years, but no tangible progress has been made," the ministry official said. "So we decided to take the latest action."

Japan and the United States are asking other countries to join in the WTO legal action, the officials said.

Japan has filed a total of 12 complaints at the WTO, set up in 1995, which now has about 150 members, accounting for over 97 percent of global trade.

Of the 12, eight were in connection with Japan's trade conflicts with the United States.

Copyright ? 2008 Kyodo News International, Inc.

[ Back To Mobile Security Homepage's Homepage ]

Request a Demo

Weekly Demonstration: SAP Mobile Secure
Solution including SAP Afaria Cloud

Free 30-day Trial

Best MDM in the cloud. Best MDM
Analytics. Best MDM price.

Featured Whitepapers

What Is Your Mobile Content Policy? A Checklist for Content Risk Mitigation
We are living in a world that only 20 years ago was the realm of science fiction. Devices once just barely imaginable have become common consumer items, carried casually in pockets and purses, with constantly growing capabilities.

SAP Enterprise Mobility: Bringing a Cohesive Approach to a Complex Market
Mobility and consumerization are creating complexity in the enterprise, but embracing the change can lead to more productive mobile workers as well as better communications with employees, partners, customers, and consumers. The trends in the enterprise mobility landscape drive a need for technology solutions to emerge.

View All

Featured Datasheets

Securing Enterprise Mobility for Greater Competitive Advantage
We are living in a world that only 20 years ago was the realm of science fiction. Devices once just barely imaginable have become common consumer items, carried casually in pockets and purses, with constantly growing capabilities.

Secure Mobile Content Management for the Enterprise
Every day employees move business files onto their mobile devices so they can work at home, on the road, or at client sites. The mobile workforce is a reality, as 80% of employees say they need to access work documents from outside the office.1 Instead of insecure, consumer-based tools, enterprises need a safe, reliable platform for managing content on mobile devices.

View All

Featured Webinar

Mobile Drives Field Service Productivity at Satellites Unlimited
Field service has never been more competitive or faster changing than it is today. Going mobile is a must to stay ahead of the competition, provide improved services, and keep up with ever-increasing customer expectations.

View All

Featured Webcast

End to End Mobility Requirements: IDC and SAP explore the 3rd Platform
A new IDC study states that we're in the midst of a shift that takes place once every 20 - 25 years - introducing a new technology platform that will inspire growth and innovation for enterprises of all sizes. IDC calls it the 3rd Platform - built on mobile devices and apps, cloud services, mobile broadband networks, "Big Data", analytics, and social technologies.

View All

Featured On-Demand Webinar

Analyst Webcast: Secure Content Management in a Mobile Age
Securing and managing content is taking on new importance as organizations try to cope with the explosion of business-oriented file sharing services while at the same time taking advantage of the proliferation of "smart" mobile devices.

View All