Services Competitiveness Roadmap

The APEC Committee on Trade and Investment has issued the first draft of the Services Competitiveness Roadmap (LINK) setting out a plan to promote increasing APEC exports and imports of services by 2025 to a level that exceeds average global levels.  The Asia Pacific Services Coalition (APSC)has submitted a letter (LINK) to APEC Senior Officials regarding the draft.  In the letter, the APSC included recommendations that as part of the roadmap, APEC countries provide non-discriminatory treatment to new services, recognize the importance of both data flows and restraint in use of data localization measures, and confirm a standstill on services measures.  US APEC negotiators were pleased that these elements were included and have reportedly indicated that they will support their inclusion in the Roadmap.