Services Trade under the WTO
Hildegunn Kyvik Nordås | 31 January 2026
Trade,
Research Papers | Tags:
Services Trade,
Trade Governance,
WTO The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) is one of the four pillars of the World Trade Organization (WTO), established in 1995. Although services have always been traded, they were considered non-tradable both by policy makers and by scholars at the time.
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The Importance of Bringing the WTO Joint Initiative on E-commerce Over the Finishing Line
17 July 2024 | Online | 10.00-11.00 am (CET) Trade,
Webinar | Tags:
Digital Economy,
Services Trade,
WTO There is no doubt that global e-commerce and related cross-border data flows require governance to ensure cyber security and privacy. Interoperable rules and regulations across the globe would substantially ease the cost of trade in digitally enabled services for everyone.
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Why a Deal in the WTO Negotiations on E-Commerce is a “Must-Have” for MC13
Hildegunn Kyvik Nordås and
Jane Drake-Brockman | 13 February 2024
Trade,
Blog | Tags:
Artificial Intelligence,
Digital Economy,
WTO The internet is fundamentally dependent on openness to cross-border data flows. But many governments are regulating to constrain international data transfers - including under a banner of data sovereignty.
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Trade and the Environment: Focus on the Goals!
Hildegunn Kyvik Nordås | 12 August 2022
Trade,
Blog | Tags:
Environment,
WTO Environmental concerns are moving up the trade policy agenda both in the WTO and regional trade agreements where countries discuss liberalizing trade in environmental goods and services. A first step is to agree on a definition of environmental goods and services. However, discussions have been
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Fostering Global Cooperation
Henry Gao | 10 June 2022
Trade,
Blog | Tags:
Climate Change,
Digital Governance,
Trade Governance,
WTO As the world enters 2022, the global trading system seems to be stuck in a deep crisis: the trade war between the US and China continues into another year with most of the additional tariffs staying in place and the only things missing are the
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Cross-border Movement of People and Its Critical Role for Services Trade
Oliver Braunschweig and
Hildegunn Kyvik Nordås | 28 February 2022
Trade,
Blog | Tags:
Mode 4,
Services Trade,
WTO The importance of cross-border movement of people for services trade and the functioning of global value chains has been amply demonstrated during the COVID-19 crisis. While in normal times – and during the financial crisis in 2008 – services trade has been less volatile than
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The WTO is Back in Business?
Jane Drake-Brockman | 10 December 2021
Trade,
Blog | Tags:
Services Trade,
Trade Governance,
WTO The building on Lake Geneva which houses the WTO stands as the symbol of the multilateral trading system and the bastion of global non-discrimination in trade governance. Meetings held under WTO auspices, whether physical or virtual, attract global participation by all trading partners. No other
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Postponing the WTO Ministerial Conference – Making the Unexpected Breathing Space a Turning Point
Oliver Braunschweig and
Hildegunn Kyvik Nordås | 6 December 2021
Trade,
Blog | Tags:
Agricultural Trade,
Health,
Services Trade,
Trade Governance,
WTO The WTO 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12), which was due to take place in Geneva from 30 November – 3 December, was postponed indefinitely last minute due to new COVID-19 travel restrictions. Despite hectic activity on a rather modest agenda during the run-up to the event,
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The Moratorium on Tariffs on E-commerce Should Stay
Hildegunn Kyvik Nordås | 25 November 2021
Trade,
Blog | Tags:
Digitalization,
Tariffs,
WTO The rise of the digital economy will be hitting the agenda at next week’s Ministerial Conference (MC12) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in many ways. The continuation of the provisional e-commerce moratorium is one of them – and one that is critical. The e-commerce
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Digital Trade: Top Trade Negotiation Priorities for Cross-Border Data Flows and Online Trade in Services
Jane Drake-Brockman,
Gabriel Gari,
Stuart Harbinson,
Bernard Hoekman,
Hildegunn Kyvik Nordås and
Sherry Stephenson | 16 September 2021
Trade,
Policy Briefs | Tags:
Digitalization,
Services Trade,
WTO This policy brief sets out recommendations to achieve a new multilateral framework of trade rules in the digital arena, thereby facilitating continued digital transformation of services and growth in cross-border flows of data. The present moment is critical. Successful conclusion of World Trade Organization (WTO)
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