Services
Introduction
Services have become the most dynamic and dominant force shaping global economic patterns in the 21st century.
Acknowledgements
This publication is the result of a joint effort by the WTO and the World Bank Group.
Executive summary
Services are central to growth, productivity, employment and economic diversification, and constitute the largest and most dynamic sector of many economies.
Acknowledgements
This publication is the result of a joint effort by the WTO and the World Bank Group.
Introduction
Services have become the most dynamic and dominant force shaping global economic patterns in the 21st century. Today, services account for over two-thirds of global GDP and more than half of global employment, and are the primary source of value added in most economies.
Executive summary
Services are central to growth, productivity, employment and economic diversification, and constitute the largest and most dynamic sector of many economies. They play an indispensable role across value chains and are a major source of export earnings. The ability to trade services – digitally across borders, via commercial presence in other economies or through the movement of people – is a core driver of competitiveness and growth.
Good regulatory practices to facilitate trade in services
Services are currently the largest and most dynamic sector of many economies, underpinning growth, productivity and employment. Yet, the costs of trading services remain significantly higher than those for goods, largely due to regulatory and governance differences across economies. Furthermore, opaque and inefficient authorization procedures for service providers can limit participation in services trade, particularly for developing economies. To address these challenges, over 70 WTO members adopted new Disciplines on Services Domestic Regulation, which entered into force in 2024. These disciplines aim to embed good regulatory practices (GRPs) into services policies and facilitate services trade by fostering transparency, predictability and efficiency in regulatory frameworks. This publication examines how GRPs can reduce trade costs, enhance economic performance and support financial inclusion. It outlines 14 core GRPs for improving transparency and efficiency in authorization and licensing processes, with the aim of promoting international regulatory cooperation. Four case studies, focusing on Costa Rica, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, illustrate how reforms anchored in clear legal frameworks can reduce compliance costs, enforce quality standards and reduce processing times. The publication also introduces the Diagnostic and Reform Planning Tool, a new instrument developed to assist policymakers and regulators in mapping their domestic regulatory frameworks against the 14 GRPs set out in this publication.
Agradecimientos / Descargo de responsabilidad
La presente publicación es fruto del esfuerzo conjunto del Banco Mundial y de la OMC. Fue escrita y coordinada por Martin Roy de la OMC y Pierre Sauvé del Banco Mundial, bajo la supervisión de la Directora General Adjunta Anabel González y Xiaolin Chai, Directora de la División de Comercio de Servicios e Inversión, en la OMC, y Mona Haddad, Directora Mundial de Comercio, Inversión y Competitividad, y Sebastien Dessus, Gerente de Prácticas, Comercio e Integración Regional, en el Banco Mundial. La publicación fue editada por Ross McRae y Anthony Martin, de la OMC.
Résumé analytique
La présente publication conjointe de la Banque mondiale et de l'OMC repose sur une vision partagée selon laquelle les changements structurels associés à une économie mondiale plus centrée sur les services et sur la contribution essentielle que l'expansion du commerce et de l'investissement dans ce secteur peuvent apporter à la croissance économique et au développement justifient qu'une plus grande attention soit portée aux politiques et que la coopération internationale soit redynamisée. Un objectif important de cette publication et une raison essentielle de son caractère conjoint sont de rappeler les avantages qu'il y a à faire progresser l'ordre du jour des négociations sur le commerce des services et les coûts d'opportunité qui en résulteraient en cas d'inaction. Il s'agit donc de stimuler la réflexion sur les meilleurs moyens de mobiliser un soutien supplémentaire – et une aide de meilleure qualité – qui permettent aux économies en développement et aux économies les moins avancées de mettre en oeuvre des réformes du secteur des services, afin de tirer aussi parti de l'expansion du commerce et de l'investissement dans ce secteur pour favoriser leur développement.