GATS
(General Agreement on Trade in Services)
An overview
the origin
95% of trades apply GATS
the negotiation starts from round 8 Uruguay round
currently executing by the board of governors of WTO
officially included in Doha minister meeting in 2001
negotiation process
2004 framework agreement
2005 establish "revised offer" list
request the promise of market opening
ensure the multilateral negotiation system
non-discrimination and transparent multilateral law to foreign servers
advantage regulations for least developed countries
2007 most countries support NAMA(Non-Agricultural market Access) to complete the blueprint
2008 signaling conference broke up due to SSM(special safeguard mechanism) dispute
2011 priority topic "LDCs" (Least Developed Countries)
negotiation structure
market access
"request and reply" to "multilateral request"
S&D(special and differential treatment) for developing members
rules issues
domestic regulations
government purchasing
subsidies
emergency SSM
Contents
operation mode
Cross-boarder supply
Consumption abroad
Commercial presence
Presence of natural person
chained restaurant
tourism
foreign banks
accountants
obligations
Most-favored Nation, MFN
Transparency
reduction of domestic regulations
exceptions
specific list of MFN exemptions
Challenges
only have on chance
recognition
recognized by multilateral agreement
other obligation
national treatment clause
gradual opening is time consuming
benefits conflict
traditional negotiation is invalid
too many sub-sectors
becomes minority of agriculture and non-agriculture market entering