SIA weighs in on WTO - News Flash - Semiconductor Industry Association, World Trade Organization

Electronic News, Feb 11, 2002 by Liz Neely

GEORGE SCALISE, PRESIDENT OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR.

Industry Association (SIA), Last week testified before the Senate Finance Committee, discussing the importance of the new round of World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks to America's chip industry.

Scalise urged the Senate to pass legislation allowing President Bush to negotiate further trade opening agreements with other countries. One of the SIA's chief priorities is that the United States maintain in strong trade laws, including anti-dumping laws.

"The anti-dumping laws insure that fair competition is possible," Scalise said. "No one can take an objective look at he world's semiconductor market today and not conclude that there is vibrant competition that benefits consumers. That competition is a direct result of preserving viable competitors from the destruction caused by unfair dumping."

The SIA also wants the WTO to eliminate rules allowing the European Union to rebate value-added taxes on exports, which the SIA claims disallows U.S. programs that provide identical economic benefits.

"American chipmakers hold just over 50 percent of world market share--where we can compete fairly we are successful--and that is why eliminating barriers to trade and further opening world markets is vital to our industry," Scalise added.

Among the SIA's other wishes are tariff cuts on a broad range of IT goods and increasing signatories to the Information Technology Agreement.