服务业对外开放的国际比较研究｜国际

Core Viewpoint - Since the 1990s, the proportion of service trade in global trade has been continuously rising, prompting major developed economies to promote institutional opening in the service sector through high-standard free trade agreements, thereby establishing their advantageous positions in the global service value chain [1]. Group 1: Global Service Industry Opening Status - The opening degree of the service industry is measured differently from manufacturing, primarily due to the intangible and non-storable nature of services, which complicates cross-border transportation and data collection [3]. - Two key concepts are defined: nominal openness, which refers to the legal and policy level of openness, and actual openness, which reflects the extent to which foreign service providers can enter and operate in a country [3]. Group 2: Forms of Service Trade Barriers - Service trade barriers are more complex than those in goods trade, often manifested as domestic regulations and restrictions rather than traditional border barriers like tariffs and quotas [4]. - The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) categorizes barriers into market access restrictions, national treatment limitations, local presence requirements, professional qualification and regulatory barriers, and transparency and information disclosure obstacles [4]. Group 3: Measurement and Analysis of Nominal Openness - The OECD's Service Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI) measures the nominal openness of the global service industry, consisting of a composite index and five sub-indices covering foreign entry restrictions, movement of people, competition barriers, regulatory transparency, and other discriminatory measures [5]. Group 4: Trends in Global Service Industry Opening - Since 2014, global service industry openness has expanded and then contracted, currently not having returned to pre-pandemic levels. Foreign entry restrictions constitute the largest share of service trade barriers, accounting for 43.9% in 2024 [6]. - The highest restrictions are found in digital network services, while physical infrastructure services exhibit the highest openness. Specific sectors like express delivery and air transport face the most significant barriers, while road transport and wholesale retail show the highest openness [6]. Group 5: Country and Regional Analysis - Developed economies generally exhibit higher service industry openness compared to emerging and developing economies. Among the 51 economies covered by the OECD, 20 have STRI indices below the global average, predominantly developed countries [7]. - Japan, the UK, and the Netherlands have the highest service industry openness, while the US ranks 15th. Emerging economies like ASEAN, Russia, and India tend to protect domestic industries, with the Philippines having the highest service trade barriers in the sample [7].