Nov. 12 – Italy participated to the World Ceramic Tiles Forum with a delegation led by President of Confindustria Ceramica, Vittorio Borelli, President of the Federation of European Ceramics Alfonso Panzani, and Chairman of the Committee for Promotional Activities, Emilio Mussini. The World Ceramic Tiles Forum was held in Rio de Janeiro November 5-8. The event took stock of the situation on trends in global consumption and production, it provided an update of the processes related to ceramic tiles classifications, whose global consumption in 2012 amounted to 10.3 billion square meters, for an increase of 4.7% compared to 2001, as it emerges from an analysis by the World Customs Organization This session of the Forum also discussed standardization developments at national and international levels and presented key trends, challenges and experiences in trade policies. The WCTF provided an overview of market access problems, which are the central link in the development of international trade in the field of ceramic tiles. The WCTF passed a resolution to support further trade liberalization through bilateral and multilateral agreements and to reduce tariff and technical barriers to product mobility. Mandatory certifications, requests for special labeling and significantly different national standards from international ones were deemed particularly harmful to international trade and violation of the TBT Agreement of the WTO.
