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Regulatory barriers to trade in services: A new database and composite indices

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  • Sebastian Benz
  • Janos Ferencz
  • Hildegunn K. Nordås

Abstract

This paper presents new data on services trade regulation for 46 countries in 22 services sectors over 6 years (2014–2019). The data consist of qualitative information which is scored and weighted to produce composite indices. They cover market access and national treatment restrictions with respect to all GATS modes of supply, but also behind the border domestic regulation such as licensing, non‐transparent regulatory procedures and competition policy. The database is updated annually. The trade restrictiveness indices (STRIs) are significantly correlated with services trade flows, but also with the performance of the sectors subject to the restrictions including logistics performance indicators, interest spreads, density of ATMs and secure servers, broadband penetration and outcomes such as legal rights and the time to resolve insolvency.

Suggested Citation

  • Sebastian Benz & Janos Ferencz & Hildegunn K. Nordås, 2020. "Regulatory barriers to trade in services: A new database and composite indices," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(11), pages 2860-2879, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:worlde:v:43:y:2020:i:11:p:2860-2879
    DOI: 10.1111/twec.13032
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Simeon Djankov & Rafael La Porta & Florencio Lopez-de-Silanes & Andrei Shleifer, 2002. "The Regulation of Entry," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 117(1), pages 1-37.
    2. Hildegunn K. Nordås & Dorothée Rouzet, 2017. "The Impact of Services Trade Restrictiveness on Trade Flows," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(6), pages 1155-1183, June.
    3. Benz, Sebastian & Jaax, Alexander, 2022. "The costs of regulatory barriers to trade in services: New estimates of ad valorem tariff equivalents," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    4. Philipp Lamprecht & Sébastien Miroudot, 2020. "The value of market access and national treatment commitments in services trade agreements," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(11), pages 2880-2904, November.
    5. Sebastian Benz, 2017. "Services trade costs: Tariff equivalents of services trade restrictions using gravity estimation," OECD Trade Policy Papers 200, OECD Publishing.
    6. Hildegunn Kyvik Nordås, 2016. "Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI): The Trade Effect of Regulatory Differences," OECD Trade Policy Papers 189, OECD Publishing.
    7. Ariu, Andrea & Breinlich, Holger & Corcos, Gregory & Mion, Giordano, 2019. "The interconnections between services and goods trade at the firm-level," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 173-188.
    8. Erik Marel & Ben Shepherd, 2013. "Services Trade, Regulation and Regional Integration: Evidence from Sectoral Data," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(11), pages 1393-1405, November.
    9. Adlung, Rudolf & Roy, Martin, 2005. "Turning hills into mountains? Current commitments under the GATS and prospects for change," WTO Staff Working Papers ERSD-2005-01, World Trade Organization (WTO), Economic Research and Statistics Division.
    10. Peter M., 2017. "Trade costs and services [Coûts des échanges et services]," Post-Print hal-01683083, HAL.
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    Cited by:

    1. Camille Reverdy, 2023. "Estimating the general equilibrium effects of services trade liberalization," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(2), pages 493-521, May.
    2. Olga Biryukova, 2022. "Joint Initiative on Services Domestic Regulation in the WTO: The Case of Russia," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 13(4), pages 594-605, September.
    3. Nordås, Hildegunn Kyvik, 2023. "Services in the India-EU free trade agreement," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).

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