Abstract: The WTO negotiations on trade in services under GATS are at an impasse in the Doha Round. The United States, the European Union and other interested WTO members are discussing a plurilateral framework for service negotiations to break through the current deadlock, known as the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA). There are similarities between TISA and GATS: certain core concepts and a schedule-based approach to commitments, there are also some differences, for example, GATS is multilateral while TISA is probably plurilateral, and TISA introduces new rules in order to realize liberalization of higher degree. Analysis of the relationship between TISA and GATS has important implications in considering the right strategy to adopt towards TISA.
Keywords: Trade in Services, General Agreement of Trade in Services, Trade in Services Agreement, Plurilateral Agreement
source:Finance & Trade Economics ,No12,2013