China, US make breakthrough on IT free trade deal: US trade rep

BEIJING: China and the United States have reached a breakthrough in talks on eliminating duties on information technology products, a deal that could pave the way for the first major tariff-cutting agreement at the World Trade Organisation in 17 years. 

The breakthrough would allow the "swift conclusion" on talks to expand the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) at the WTO in Geneva later this year, United States Trade Representative Michael Froman told reporters. It would reduce global tariffs on such products as medical equipment, GPS devices, videogames consoles and next-generation semiconductors.