To harness the benefits of open services markets, policy makers need to identify regulatory bottlenecks and understand how these impact on trade and economic performance. The OECD Services Trade Restr...

The WTO Council for Trade in Services met on 2 and 3 October to discuss how to facilitate the recognition of professional qualifications to promote services trade and development. Members also considered the way forward for a proposal in support of least-developed countries and discussed various services trade concerns.

The WTO Council for Trade in Services met on 2 and 3 October to discuss how to facilitate the recognition of professional qualifications to promote services trade and development. Members also considered the way forward for a proposal in support of least-developed countries and discussed various services trade concerns.

The WTO Secretariat launched a new publication on the role of stablecoins in supporting cross-border trade on 14 September on the sidelines of the WTO's first World Trade and Tech Day. The report, prepared by the Economic Research and Statistics Division and the Trade in Services and Investment Division, examines the opportunities and challenges associated with the use of stablecoins in facilitating international trade, highlighting how they can accelerate cross-border payments and their potential to increase participation in the international trading system, especially for developing economies.

A new report launched by the WTO Secretariat and the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC) on 17 September draws on case studies to illustrate how developing economies' export promotion strategies can help them take advantage of growing opportunities in services trade. Export Promotion Strategies for Services: Lessons from the Developing World provides useful policy insights for developing economies, underscoring the importance of close coordination with skills upgrading and investment attraction strategies and the need to adapt export promotion mechanisms traditionally focused on goods.

The 2026 edition of the WTO's Public Forum kicked off on 15 September in Geneva under the theme Powering the Future. Over three days, the Forum will welcome more than 4,600 participants from business, governments, civil society, academia and international organizations to discuss how trade in services is a key engine of development, a source of income, and a driver of job creation and empowerment worldwide.

The 2026 edition of the WTO's Public Forum kicked off on 15 September in Geneva under the theme Powering the Future. Over three days, the Forum will welcome more than 4,600 participants from business, governments, civil society, academia and international organizations to discuss how trade in services is a key engine of development, a source of income, and a driver of job creation and empowerment worldwide.

The WTO Secretariat launched a new publication on the role of stablecoins in supporting cross-border trade on 14 September on the sidelines of the WTO's first World Trade and Tech Day. The report, prepared by the Economic Research and Statistics Division and the Trade in Services and Investment Division, examines the opportunities and challenges associated with the use of stablecoins in facilitating international trade, highlighting how they can accelerate cross-border payments and their potential to increase participation in the international trading system, especially for developing economies.

A new report by the WTO Secretariat, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank examines how digital trade is transforming the way Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) economies connect to international markets and identifies opportunities to unlock further growth, inclusion and development for the region.

At a series of meetings held from 2 to 4 June, the WTO Council for Trade in Services and its subsidiary bodies discussed a broad range of issues for possible future work, ranging from the services aspects of electronic commerce to the green services economy. Members also agreed to hold a dedicated workshop to share information on the recognition of foreign professionals' qualifications. Discussions continued on ways to help least developed countries better participate in services trade, facilitate remittance transfers, and improve the classification of environmental services.

In Yaound� on the eve of the 14th Ministerial Conference on 25 March, a group of ministers underscored the central role of services trade in supporting development and emphasized the importance of WTO-World Bank efforts to help developing members overcome challenges. Director-General Okonjo-Iweala called for stronger international partnerships through the Trade in Services for Development initiative to boost support for developing members. If we succeed, the benefits could be transformative: a global trading system that delivers more clearly on its promise of inclusive development, she said.

The WTO Secretariat and the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 4 March to enhance sustainable trade and investment worldwide. The agreement marks the beginning of a partnership that will leverage the EIB's financial resources and investment facilitation tools developed under the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement concluded by a large number of WTO members to improve the regulatory environment, unlock investment and expand opportunities for developing countries.

At a series of meetings held from 18 to 20 February, the WTO Council for Trade in Services and its subsidiary bodies discussed ways to strengthen information-sharing to reinvigorate the Council's work. They also discussed how to facilitate remittance transfers and to improve the classification of environmental services, among other issues. In addition, members received an update on efforts to help least developed countries (LDCs) participate more effectively in services trade and addressed various trade concerns.

Trump’s goods tariffs will sting, but India’s real vulnerability lies in services – the sector that powers jobs, consumption and growth.

The WTO on 31 July launched a new dataset covering the services exports and imports of 200 economies from 2005 to 2017. It features the first-ever comprehensive estimate of how much services are traded by sector through the four modes of supply as defined in the WTO’s General Agreement on Trade in Services.