Services Trade Policies and the Global Economy
This book synthesises recent work by the OECD analysing services trade policies and quantifying their impacts on imports and exports, the performance of manufacturing and services sectors, and how services trade restrictions influence the decisions and outcomes of firms engaged in international markets. Based on the OECD Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI) - a unique, evidence-based tool that provides snapshots of regulations affecting trade in services in 22 sectors across 44 countries (representing over 80% of global trade in services) - the analysis highlights the magnitude, nature and impact of the costs entailed by restrictive services trade policies. The new evidence uncovered is meant to inform trade policy makers and the private sector about the likely effects of unilateral or concerted regulatory reforms and help prioritise policy action.
Also available in: French
The regulatory environment for services
provides a discussion of services policies, drawing on the STRI indices and database. It starts with a short introduction of the STRI and a brief methodological overview of the project. It then sets out the key STRI findings by country and sector and identifies interlinkages among services along the digital network, the transport and distribution supply chain, market bridging and supporting services and physical infrastructure services. The chapter also presents the reforms to services policies that have been undertaken over the period covered so far by the STRI (2014-16). The analysis is supplemented by short case studies describing concretely how services barriers affect firms’ ability to establish and conduct business in foreign countries.
Also available in: French