WTO and UNECLAC Launch Report on Services Export Promotion Strategies for Development

GENEVA — The World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC) have launched a joint publication examining how tailored services export promotion strategies can drive economic development across developing regions.

The report, produced with support from the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and World Bank Group, analyzes case studies from nine countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean: Chile, Costa Rica, Egypt, India, Jamaica, Malaysia, Mauritius, the Philippines, and Uruguay.

Speaking at the launch, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala noted that global services exports reached USD 9.6 trillion last year, representing nearly 28 percent of global trade on a balance of payments basis. According to Okonjo-Iweala, digitally delivered services expanded by an average of 8.5 percent annually between 2005 and the present, outpacing goods trade (4.7 percent) and other services (5 percent).

Okonjo-Iweala stated that services offer developing economies an avenue to diversify beyond commodities and agriculture. However, she emphasized that government strategies cannot simply replicate traditional approaches used for goods. Success in services trade relies heavily on training, trust, expertise, digital infrastructure, and regulatory competitiveness.

Nanno Mulder, Chief of the International Trade Unit at UNECLAC, stated that case studies showed the most effective outcomes stemmed from policies extending beyond the mandate of traditional export promotion agencies. These include workforce skills development, investment attraction, regulatory reform, certification, and public-private sector coordination.

Anabel Gonzalez, Vice-President for Countries and Regional Integration at the IDB, stated that market access alone is insufficient to drive trade growth. Gonzalez underscored the need for domestic institutions, firm-level capabilities, and multilateral financing to convert trade opportunities into jobs and exports.

Summarizing the discussion, WTO Deputy Director-General Johanna Hill emphasized three main conclusions: services export promotion must reflect the distinct nature of services; trade promotion must integrate with broader domestic policy areas; and governments must adapt core principles to their local contexts rather than directly copying other countries' models.

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