______

2008/SOM1/MAG/WKSP/001

Agenda

Submitted by: Japan

/ Workshop on Information Technology/Electronics Industry
Lima, Peru
20 February 2008

APEC Workshop on IT/ Electronics Industry

(Nazca Room 1&2 at the Swisshotel, Lima, Peru /20February2008)

Agenda

【Purpose】

【Program (tentative)】

Moderator: Mr. Yukio Shohtoku (Corporate Associate of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.,ABAC Japan Member and Chair of ABAC Technology and InformationWorking Group: Japan)

09:00-09:10 / Opening Remarks(10) 《Mr. Isaias Flit, Member of the Board of the Science and Technology Program (Peru)》
Session 1：Development of IT/Electronics Industry in the APEC Region
09:10–09:30 / Speaker 1 (20)《Dr. Robert D. Atkinson (President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF): USA)》
“Latest Trend of IT/Electronics Technology in the APEC Region”
Latest trends of IT/electronics technology will be introduced to help participants understand how important these technologies are toenrich our daily life. Participants are expected to share awarenessthat it is significant for all APEC economies to help each other disseminate IT/electronics technologyforensuring safety and convenient life.
09:30–09:50 / Speaker 2 (20)《Mr. Masao Toyama (Chairman, Trade Policy Committee,Japan Electronics & Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA): Japan)》
“Improvement of Investment Environment
- Best Practices of Attracting Electric/Electronics Industry in Thailand, Malaysia, and Mexico
- Business’s Assessment of the Investment Environment (e.g. IPR, Transparency, and Service)”
Examples will be given about what a desirable investment environment, success factors, and future challenges would be like from the perspective of global companies and/or industries,
09:50–10:20 / Q A Session (30)
10:20–10:40 / Coffee Break (20)
Session 2：Global Efforts Focused on IT/Electronics
Part 1: WTO
10:40-10:55 / Speaker 3 (15)《Mr. Jason A. Bernstein (Director of Tariff Affairs, USTR: USA)》
“Success of ITA and the Way Forward (including ITA coverage issues)”
It is expected thatparticipants review theeconomic benefits of liberalization of IT industry during past 10 years after the ITA was agreed under WTO in 1996, and that theyshare awareness of the importance of wider participation in ITA andmaintenance of its effectiveness. Against this background, current issues related to interpretation of product coverageof the ITA will be introduced and future challenges will be discussed.
10:55-11:10 / Speaker 4 (15)《Mr. Kenichi Kobayashi, Deputy Director, Multilateral Trade System Department, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI): Japan》
“DDA/NAMA Negotiations - Sectoral Proposal on Electronics/Electrical Products“
The update on the discussions of tariff elimination initiative onelectrics/electricalsectorin the WTO/NAMA negotiations will be introduced, together with its potential benefits. Participants will also be informed about the futureprocess of this sectoral initiative in the overall negotiating process so that they would be able to intensify their domestic consultations and indicate their intension to participate in the initiative in a timely manner.
11:10-11:25 / Speaker 5 (15)《Mr. John Neuffer (Vice President for Technology and Trade, Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC): USA)》
“Business perspective on ITA and NAMA negotiations”
Based on the presentations by public sector on the current situation and future of DDA/ITA and NAMA negotiations under WTO, possible policy directions will be suggested toward trade liberalization in the IT/electronics industryfrom the perspective of private sector.
Part 2: Trade Facilitation
11:25-11:45 / Speaker 6 (20)《Mr. Charuek Hengrasmee (President, Electrical and Electronics Institute: Thailand)》
- Rules of Origins (e.g. Semiconductor Issues)
- Trade Facilitation (e.g. Simplification of Customs Procedures, Improving the Efficiency of Distribution Systems)
- Standards and Conformance (e.g. Networking for Developing Standards, Issues Restricting Trade such as REACH and RoHS)
- Integration of Electronics Industry toward ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)
It is necessary to promote not only trade liberalization but trade facilitation in such fields as rule of origins, custom procedures, distribution, and standards and conformance in order to widen and enforce supply chains in the IT/electronics industry. Trade facilitation activities to be carried out in the Asia Pacific region will be introduced with some examples of economic integration of priority industries (e.g. IT, electronics, etc.) under ASEAN.
11:45–13:45 / Lunch (120)
Part 3: Environmental Program
13:45–14:05 / Speaker 7 (20)《Dr. Narito Shibaike (Councilor, Corporate Environmental Affairs Division,
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.:Japan)》
- Current Situation of International Environmental Regulations
- Environmental Programs in the IT/Electronics Industry
Measures to comply with environmental regulationwill become more important for global corporations. For this reason, the IT/electronics industry is addressing not only development and sale of energy saving device but also a wide variety of environmental program. Progress approach by one of the most advanced companies in this field will be introduced.
14:05–14:35 / Q & A Session (30)
14:35–14:55 / Coffee Break (20)
Session 3：Possible Policy Options
14:55–15:25 / Keynote Speaker (30)《Mr. Yukio Shohtoku:Japan》
- Providing Positive Input to the WTO Negotiations for Trade Liberalization
- Deepening the Dialogue in the IT/Electronics Industry in the APEC Region
Policy recommendations will be made on the ITA/NAMA negotiations under WTO and on trade facilitation and environment protection under other foraincluding APEC. In addition policy implications will be introduced regarding relations between these policy recommendations and regional economic integration under APEC,.
15:25-16:20 / Panel Discussion (55)
《Facilitator：Ms. Mary Elizabeth Chelliah (MAG Convenor: Singapore)》
《Panel members：all speakers and participants》
- Possible Policy Recommendations toward Sustainable Development of APEC Economies
- Concrete Direction for Promoting further Regional Economic Integration
Based on the keynote speech, a panel discussion will be presented on policy options to be taken in the IT/electronics industry under such fora as APEC. In accordance with the keynote speech and the results of the panel discussion, concrete and brief policy recommendations will be wrapped up to be reported to APEC and ABAC meetings.
16:20–16:30 / Closing Remarks (10)《Mr. Yukio Shohtoku: Japan》