ABSTRACT

International Trade is naturally not only about goods but also about services. Indeed, as the preamble of general agreement on trade and services (GATS) recognized more than 20 years ago, and also due to the progress of the technologies of information and communications, trade in services is a significant and increasing percentage of global trade. Reaching an agreement on trade in services is a more complex task than reaching a deal on trade in goods. As a result, it is not surprising that GATS has a more limited scope that the general agreement on tariffs and trade (GATT). GATT 1947 only referred to trade in goods; trade in services was not part of this agreement. This is not surprising taking account not only that reaching a first multinational trade agreement was already an uphill task, but also that the services sector is linked to sensible topics such as labor migration, visas and domestic regulation.