This article originally appeared in the Legal Backgrounder, October 18, 2002
The United States has consistently been at the forefront of the movement to liberalize trade in services under the 1994 General Agreement on Trade in Services ("GATS"). This advocacy transcends political leadership and is directly related to the structure of the United States economy, some 63 percent of which involves the supply of services both domestically and around the world. On July 1, United States Trade Representative ("USTR") Robert Zoellick announced the submission of a new proposal for liberalization of international trade in services, which in accordance with the agreed negotiating guidelines is comprised of specific requests directed at individual countries. Although details of the specific requests remain confidential, statements from the USTR's office make clear that the United States proposal conflicts with the services liberalization agenda of countries in the European Union and the
