General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), and its salient features.

General Agreement on Trade in Services(GATS) refers to a multilateral treaty containing rules, disciplines and commitments for progressive liberalization of trade in services.

General Agreement on Trade in Services(GATS) is a landmark achievement of Uruguay Round. General Agreement on Trade in Services(GATS) is a set of mutually agreed upon rules and regulations applicable to international trade in service.

Also read | The Role of Trade in Services in Economic Development.

Salient Features of General Agreement on Trade in Services(GATS):

The GATS defines service as the supply of a service from the territory of one member (country) into the territory of any other member in the territory of one member to the service consumer of any other member by a service supplier of one member. Through commercial presence in the territory of any other member, or by a service supplier of one member, through presence of natural persons of a member in the territory of any other member.

In short, the General Agreement on Trade in Services(GATS) covers four modes of International delivery of services.

• Cross-border supply (trans-border data-flows, transportation services).
• Commercial presence (provision of services abroad through FDI or representative offices).
• Consumption abroad (tourism).
• Movement of personnel (entry and temporary stay of foreign consultants).

Also read | The four alternative modes of international Transactions in Services.

While industrial countries have offered market access commitment of some kind on over half (about 54 per cent) of their service activities, developing countries did so only on less than one-fifth (about 17 per cent) of their service categories.

Tourism and travel-related services are the only activities in which a substantial number of developing countries made commitments.

The framework of General Agreement on Trade in Services(GATS) includes basic obligations of all member countries on international trade in service, including financial services, telecommunications, transport, audio visual, tourism, and professional services, as well as movement of workers.

Also read | The major issues involved in settlement of international trade disputes.

Among the obligations is a most favored nation (MFN) obligation that essentially prevents countries from discriminating among foreign suppliers of services.

Another obligation is the transparency requirements according to which each member country shall promptly publish all its relevant laws and regulations pertaining to services including international agreements pertaining to trade in services to which the member is a signatory.

Further, each member shall also respond promptly to all requests for specific information, by and other member, pertaining to any aspect of the service covered by the GATS.

Also read | The Rights of an Unpaid Seller.

Each member shall also establish one or more inquiry points to provide specific information to other members.

However, no member needs to provide any confidential information, the disclosure of which would impede law enforcement, or otherwise be contrary to public interest, or which would prejudice legitimate commercial interest of particular enterprise, public or private.

The General Agreement on Trade in Services(GATS) lays down that increasing participation of developing countries in world trade shall be facilitated through negotiated commitments on access to technology, improvements in access to distribution channels and information network and the liberalization of market access in sectors and models of supply of export interest to them.

Also read | The rules relating to delivery of goods under the Sale of Goods Act.

With reference to domestic regulations, the Agreement lays down that all measures of general application affecting trade in services are administered in a reasonable, objective and impartial manner.

There would be a requirement that parties establish ways and means for prompt reviews of administrative decisions relating to the supply of services.

It is recognized that particular pressures on the balance of payments of a member in the process of economic development or economic transition may necessitate the use of restrictions to ensure, inter alia, the maintenance of a level of financial reserves adequate for the implementation of its program of economic development or economic transition.

Also read | The objectives and functions of International Monetary Fund (IMF).

A member country may, therefore, apply restrictions on international transfers and payments for current transactions under certain circumstances envisaged under the General Agreement on Trade in Services(GATS).

In the event of serious balance of payments and external financial difficulties of threat thereof, a member may adopt or maintain restrictions on trade in services on which it has undertaken specific commitments including on payments or transfer for transactions related to such commitments.

The commitments of member countries under the GATS also include national treatment (that is, to treat foreign suppliers of services like domestic suppliers) and provision of market access.

Also read | Major Commodities Agreements.

The Agreement on Trade in Services also establishes the basic for progressive liberalization of trade in services through successive round of negotiations, which also applies to other agreements under the Final Act.