Global Services Network Alert, April 1, 2004

Global Services Coalition Calls for Re-engagement by Governments in WTO Services Talks

In a March 31, 2004 joint letter to WTO Ambassadors from about 50 countries that have not yet tabled Doha Round services offers, a coalition of global service industry groups urged them to do so as soon as possible. In their letter, which follows below, the groups emphasized the benefits that accrue from the liberalization of trade and investment in services, and noted that world trade in services is less than 25% of the value of goods trade, a signal of the tremendous potential for growth in services trade if barriers are removed. Both developing as well as developed countries stand to gain from progress in the talks.

The organizations signing the letter included the Australian Services Roundtable, the European Services Forum, the Hong Kong Coalition of Service Industries, the Japan Services Network, International Financial Services, London, and the US Coalition of Service Industries.

The letter follows a series of meetings the organizations held in Geneva on March 22-23 with numerous Ambassadors and senior officials at the WTO, during which the groups explained the importance of the services sector in the global economy and the urgent need to resume the request and offer process.

For a copy of the letter, please go to: http://www.uscsi.org/pdf/WTOAmbassadors.pdf