Services exported together with goods

How prevalent are services sold together with goods? Using aggregate and micro-data, this report assesses this prevalence so as to gain a better understanding of how firms combine goods and services in their exports. Leaving aside the specific case of distribution services, 'Other business services', 'Construction' and 'Research and development' are the most common services supplied by manufacturing firms. With respect to industries, 'paper and printing', as well as 'repair and installation' come first in terms of prevalence of bundles of goods and services. Since the trade regime is different for trade in goods and trade in services, manufacturing firms engaged in servitisation strategies may face higher trade barriers just by expanding their activities in sectors that are less open to trade. When negotiating trade agreements, policy makers need to take into account complementarities between goods and services, and look at the joint restrictiveness for goods and services.