{ "id": "R44354", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R44354", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 586902, "date": "2017-01-03", "retrieved": "2020-02-13T23:30:43.810232", "title": "Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) Negotiations: Overview and Issues for Congress", "summary": "Congress has broad interest in trade in services, which are a large and growing component of the U.S. economy. It also has a direct interest in establishing trade negotiating objectives and potential consideration of a future Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA). Services account for 78% of U.S. private sector gross domestic product (GDP), 82% of private sector employees in 2015, and an increasing portion of U.S. international trade. \u201cServices\u201d refer to a growing range of economic activities, such as audiovisual, construction, and computer and related services; energy; express delivery; e-commerce; financial, legal, and accounting services; retail and wholesaling; transportation; telecommunications; and travel. Services include end-use products, such as legal services and financial products. Many services, such as distribution or transportation services, also facilitate other parts of the economy, helping goods move through global supply chains. \nTo open foreign markets to U.S. businesses and address trade barriers to services, which may be in the form of government regulations, the United States has engaged in multiple trade agreement negotiations. The World Trade Organization (WTO) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) provides the foundation or floor on which rules in other agreements on services are based, including in U.S. free trade agreements (FTAs). Trade in services is addressed in U.S. bilateral and regional FTAs, including the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), concluded in October 2015. However, ongoing negotiation efforts to update GATS are stalled, even as technology and services trade have evolved significantly since GATS went into effect in 1995. To address these issues, 23 parties are engaged in discussions on a potential sector-specific, plurilateral agreement to further liberalize trade in services. \nNegotiations on a proposed Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) were launched in April 2013, with the United States and Australia initially at the lead. TiSA participants account for about 70% of world trade in services and include the European Union, in addition to the United States and Australia. Some key major emerging markets, including Brazil, China, and India, are not currently parties to the TiSA negotiations, though China has indicated an interest in joining. While TiSA negotiations are occurring outside of the WTO, the agreement is reportedly being structured so that it can be potentially \u201cmulti-lateralized\u201d in the future and incorporated into the GATS, making it applicable to all WTO members.\nThe final structure and sectors to be covered in TiSA remain under negotiation, but some key issues have emerged. For the United States, significant interests include expanding market access beyond the current GATS commitments, building disciplines on transparency, setting common rules for cross-border data flows and digital trade, and ensuring fair competition with state-owned enterprises. TiSA participants have conducted 21 negotiating rounds through 2016, and aim to complete negotiations in 2017 but no new rounds are scheduled. The outlook and timeline for the ongoing TiSA negotiations remains uncertain, as participants are tackling difficult and complex issues such as regulatory processes and digital trade frameworks. The new U.S. administration position on TiSA is unclear.\nTiSA is one of several trade agreements that may be considered by Congress in the near future. Congress passed, and the President signed into law, Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation in June 2015 which expires on July 1, 2018, with a possible extension to July 1, 2021. As part of TPA, Congress established principal trade negotiating objectives for services. If agreement on TiSA is reached while TPA is in effect, and if certain statutory requirements are met, TPA would provide for expedited legislative consideration of legislation to implement a final TiSA. Congress may opt to exercise oversight on the progress of the ongoing TiSA negotiations and consider a number of related factors such as comparisons with other agreements.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44354", "sha1": "9dbe934024d855362cef86ef50c561a429e3821b", "filename": "files/20170103_R44354_9dbe934024d855362cef86ef50c561a429e3821b.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44354_files&id=/0.png": "files/20170103_R44354_images_fdadae3d483477106f44fb5a2ecc35f81431fb98.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44354", "sha1": "1c16929692a87eca886b1c082364517a1143e92d", "filename": "files/20170103_R44354_1c16929692a87eca886b1c082364517a1143e92d.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4765, "name": "Trade Agreements & WTO" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 454997, "date": "2016-08-10", "retrieved": "2016-10-17T19:37:11.804928", "title": "Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) Negotiations: Overview and Issues for Congress", "summary": "Congress has broad interest in trade in services, which are a large and growing component of the U.S. economy. It also has a direct interest in establishing trade negotiating objectives and potential consideration of a future Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA). Services account for 78% of U.S. private sector gross domestic product (GDP), 80% of private sector employees in 2014, and an increasing portion of U.S. international trade. \u201cServices\u201d refer to a growing range of economic activities, such as audiovisual, construction, and computer and related services; energy; express delivery; e-commerce; financial, legal, and accounting services; retail and wholesaling; transportation; telecommunications; and travel. Services include end-use products, such as legal services and financial products. Many services, such as distribution or transportation services, also facilitate other parts of the economy, helping goods move through global supply chains. \nTo open foreign markets to U.S. businesses and address trade barriers to services, which may be in the form of government regulations, the United States has engaged in multiple trade agreement negotiations. The World Trade Organization (WTO) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) provides the foundation or floor on which rules in other agreements on services are based, including in U.S. free trade agreements (FTAs). Trade in services is addressed in U.S. bilateral and regional FTAs, including the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), concluded in October 2015. However, ongoing negotiation efforts to update GATS are stalled, even as technology and services trade have evolved significantly since GATS went into effect in 1995. To address these issues, 23 parties are engaged in discussions on a potential sector-specific, plurilateral agreement to further liberalize trade in services. \nNegotiations on a proposed Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) were launched in April 2013, with the United States and Australia initially at the lead. TiSA participants account for about 70% of world trade in services and include the European Union, in addition to the United States and Australia. Some key major emerging markets, including Brazil, China, and India, are not currently parties to the TiSA negotiations, though China has indicated an interest in joining. While TiSA negotiations are occurring outside of the WTO, the agreement is reportedly being structured so that it can be potentially \u201cmulti-lateralized\u201d in the future and incorporated into the GATS, making it applicable to all WTO members.\nThe final structure and sectors to be covered in TiSA remain under negotiation, but some key issues have emerged. For the United States, significant interests include expanding market access beyond the current GATS commitments, building disciplines on transparency, setting common rules for cross-border data flows and digital trade, and ensuring fair competition with state-owned enterprises. TiSA participants have conducted 19 negotiating rounds through July 2016, and aim to complete negotiations in 2016. The outlook and timeline for the ongoing TiSA negotiations remains uncertain, as participants are tackling difficult and complex issues such as regulatory processes and digital trade frameworks.\nTiSA is one of several trade agreements that may be considered by Congress in the near future. Congress passed, and the President signed into law, Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation in June 2015 which expires on July 1, 2018, with a possible extension to July 1, 2021. As part of TPA, Congress established principal trade negotiating objectives for services. If agreement on TiSA is reached while TPA is in effect, and if certain statutory requirements are met, TPA would provide for expedited legislative consideration of legislation to implement a final TiSA. Congress may opt to exercise oversight on the progress of the ongoing TiSA negotiations and consider a number of related factors such as comparisons with other agreements.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44354", "sha1": "bca12143e63917ca4c5c6fd17fd05dd679c296db", "filename": "files/20160810_R44354_bca12143e63917ca4c5c6fd17fd05dd679c296db.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44354", "sha1": "ef5f964cd6e1683e66eb44799341538f44304730", "filename": "files/20160810_R44354_ef5f964cd6e1683e66eb44799341538f44304730.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4765, "name": "Trade Agreements & WTO" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 449205, "date": "2016-01-28", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T17:22:34.398287", "title": "Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) Negotiations: Overview and Issues for Congress", "summary": "Congress has broad interest in trade in services, which are a large and growing component of the U.S. economy. It also has a direct interest in establishing trade negotiating objectives and potential consideration of a future Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA). Services account for 78% of U.S. private sector gross domestic product (GDP), 82% of private sector employees in 2013, and an increasing portion of U.S. international trade. \u201cServices\u201d refer to a growing range of economic activities, such as audiovisual, construction, and computer and related services; energy; express delivery; e-commerce; financial, legal, and accounting services; retail and wholesaling; transportation; telecommunications; and travel. Services include end-use products, such as legal services and financial products. Many services, such as distribution or transportation services, also act as the \u201clifeblood\u201d of the rest of the economy, helping goods move through global supply chains. \nTo open foreign markets to U.S. businesses and address trade barriers to services, which may be in the form of government regulations, the United States has engaged in multiple trade agreement negotiations. The World Trade Organization (WTO) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) provides the foundation or floor on which rules in other agreements on services are based, including in U.S. free trade agreements (FTAs). Trade in services is addressed in U.S. bilateral and regional FTAs, including the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), concluded in October 2015. However, ongoing negotiation efforts to update GATS are stalled, even as technology and services trade have evolved significantly since GATS went into effect in 1995. To address these issues, 23 parties are engaged in discussions on a potential sector-specific, plurilateral agreement to further liberalize trade in services. \nNegotiations on a proposed Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) were launched in April 2013, with the United States and Australia initially at the lead. TiSA participants account for about 70% of world trade in services and include the European Union, in addition to the United States and Australia. Some key major emerging markets, including Brazil, China, and India, are not currently parties to the TiSA negotiations, though China has indicated an interest in joining. While TiSA negotiations are occurring outside of the WTO, the agreement is reportedly being structured so that it can be potentially \u201cmulti-lateralized\u201d in the future and incorporated into the GATS, making it applicable to all WTO members.\nThe final structure and sectors to be covered in TiSA remain under negotiation, but some key issues have emerged. For the United States, significant interests include expanding market access beyond the current GATS commitments, building disciplines on transparency, setting common rules for cross-border data flows and digital trade, and ensuring fair competition with state-owned enterprises. TiSA participants have conducted 15 negotiating rounds through 2015, and aim to complete negotiations in 2016. The outlook and timeline for the ongoing TiSA negotiations remains uncertain, as participants are tackling difficult and complex issues such as regulatory processes and digital trade frameworks.\n TiSA is one of several trade agreements that may be considered by Congress in the near future. Congress passed, and the President signed into law, Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation in June 2015 which expires on July 1, 2018, with a possible extension to July 1, 2021. As part of TPA, Congress established principal trade negotiating objectives for services. If agreement on TiSA is reached while TPA is in effect, and if certain statutory requirements are met, TPA would provide for expedited legislative consideration of legislation to implement a final TiSA. Congress may opt to exercise oversight on the progress of the TiSA negotiations and consider a number of related factors such as comparisons with other agreements.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44354", "sha1": "999e1f717e29e168f48acfae01ed2b677eaccfff", "filename": "files/20160128_R44354_999e1f717e29e168f48acfae01ed2b677eaccfff.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44354", "sha1": "15754d31e7de12e3790f285d8ac3fa8776c4259c", "filename": "files/20160128_R44354_15754d31e7de12e3790f285d8ac3fa8776c4259c.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 365, "name": "U.S. and International Trade Agreements" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Foreign Affairs", "Industry and Trade" ] }