Paris, 11 February 2025 – Global barriers to services trade remained high in 2024 and continued to be fragmented across countries and sectors, creating an uneven playing field worldwide, according to new data from the OECD.
The OECD Services Trade Restrictiveness Index: Policy trends up to 2025 shows that moderate increases in levels of restrictiveness were identified across all 22 service sectors covered, while meaningful trade liberalisations were concentrated in just a few sectors, including postal services and certain professional services.
The annual report, which analyses services trade regulations in 51 countries representing more than 80% of global services trade, notes that Japan, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands had the lowest average regulatory barriers to services trade in 2024 as measured by the Index. Portugal, Greece, and India were leading reformers, implementing the most significant liberalising reforms in 2023-24.
Key trends identified in 2023-24 included new or revised conditions for market access in specific services and for the temporary movement of services providers. Restrictions on digital trade remained high, with most changes linked to policies on cross-border data flows or telecommunications services.
Reducing barriers to services trade can enhance supply chain efficiency, improve access to foreign inputs, and promote innovation. OECD analysis shows that the implementation of ambitious services trade reforms could lead to trade cost savings up to USD 1 trillion annually.
To realise these benefits, governments should intensify efforts to revitalise services trade discussions, undertake whole-of-government reforms at the national level, and establish measurable targets, with active business involvement to ensure effective implementation. Fostering international cooperation is also essential to create a more predictable, transparent, and interoperable regulatory environment, thereby reducing fragmentation and promoting economic growth.
For further information on OECD work on services trade, see:
https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/sub-issues/services-trade-restrictiveness-index.html
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