Electronics and Instrumentation

• Trade and Tariffs
• Tariff Elimination

Trade and Tariffs

The products from the Uruguay Round sectoral initiatives on medical and scientific equipment and products from the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) define the electronics and instrumentation sector. Electronics and instrumentation goods accounted for 17 percent of total U.S. exports to Australia in 2003, totaling $2.1 billion. The top U.S. exports in this sector are computer equipment, telecommunications equipment and radar apparatus. Australia’s tariffs range between zero and 15 percent with an average of 1.5 percent in 2003.

Australian exports to the United States totaled $381 million in 2003, or 6.5 percent of the total exports to the United States. Australia’s top exports to the United States are office machinery, disc storage equipment and telecommunications equipment. U.S. tariffs in the sector range from zero to 16 percent.

Tariff Elimination

The United States will eliminate all tariffs immediately on electronics and instrumentation products except HS 85279095 - - reception apparatus for radiotelegraphy, radiotelephony, radio broadcasting. Tariffs on these products will be removed in equal annual stages over a four- year period.

Medical Equipment. Both Australia and the United States will eliminate all tariffs on medical equipment immediately upon implementation of the agreement.

Scientific Equipment. Both Australia and the United States will eliminate all tariffs on scientific equipment immediately upon implementation of the agreement.

Information Technology. Both parties are signatories to the Information Technology Agreement; therefore all tariffs on these products are already duty free.

International Trade Administration
Manufacturing and Services
Office of Trade Policy Analysis