Trade in Services

EENI- School of International Business

Subject (Course): Trade in Services. General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). Syllabus:

  1. Introduction to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
  2. Transparency and liberalisation in international trade in services.
  3. Modes of supply of trade in services
  4. Most-favoured-nation.
  5. Market access and national treatment.
  6. List of commitments
  7. The main basics: Agreement, Annexes, and Schedules
  8. Case Study: Trade in Services in the United States-Colombia FTA and the European Union-Mexico FTA.
  9. GATS and national regulations
  10. Doha Development
  11. Other questions
  12. Analysis of the world Trade in Services
  13. The Services Directive of the European Single Market

Objectives of the subject: Trade in Services.

  1. To understand the importance of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
  2. To understand the key concepts of trade in services: modes of supply, most-favoured-nation, liberalisation, market access, and lists of commitments
  3. To analyse the global market for services
Subject “International Trade in Services” is studied...
  1. Professional Master's Program in International Business (MIB)
  2. Master in Foreign Trade and International Marketing (e-learning)

Learning materials in English (or Spanish Comercio Servicios French Services Portuguese Servicos).

  1. Credits of the subject “Trade in Services”: 2 ECTS Credits
  2. Duration: two weeks

Area of Knowledge: Foreign trade.

Sample of the subject: World Trade in Services
Trade in Services

Subject Description: World Trade in Services:

Since 1995 is in force the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) whose main objective is to liberalise the foreign trade in services (exports and imports) transparently to increase world trade.

The GATS covers all exportable services (WTO identifies twelve basic sectors and 160 sub-sectors): tourism, business services, information technology, transport, finance, education, architecture, telecommunications, healthcare, insurance, construction, engineering, distribution, environmental, cultural, and sporting services)

The GATS seeks to promote trade in services of developing countries. In developed economies, the service sector accounts for an average of 70% of GDP, while in developing countries is often below 50%.

The United States is the largest global exporter of services (14% of the total), followed by the United Kingdom (6%), Germany (6%), China, France, India, Japan, and Spain.

Under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) the most- favoured-nation may apply.

The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) identifies four modes in the form of providing a service abroad:

- Cross-border trade
- Consumption abroad
- Commercial presence
- Presence of natural persons.

The GATS is perfectly compatible with Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs): Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Economic Partnership Agreements (ACE).

In many FTAs usually we will find chapters on trade in services and labour markets so that we will analyse the US-Colombia FTA and the EU-Mexico FTA

Most-Favoured-Nation Treatment

The United States-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA):

United States-Colombia Free Trade Agreement



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