Abstract: Compared with trade in goods, barriers in service trade is complicate and obscure. How to find a right method to measure it precisely is a difficult problem in this research field. A deep study of this problem can help to measure China’s degree of openness in service trade and lay a good theory foundation for next round of trade negotiation. This paper analyzes and compares the traditional measure tools of service trade barriers and revises the frequency analysis method proposed by Hoekman. Connected with characteristics of service trade, different economic status of service industry, degree of openness and China’s commitment in GATS, this paper computes 12 main sectors, 46 branches and 155 subclasses in China’s service trade, and then gives a final frequency index. On this basis, this paper finds characteristics of China’s service trade barriers and then proposes some policy suggestions.
Keywords: Service Trade, Trade Barrier, Frequency Test
source:Finance & Trade Economics ,No1,2014