International Trade in Services: New Trends and Opportunities for Developing Countries

Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index. Table of Contents: About the Editors and Contributors -- Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- Abbreviations -- 1. Assessing the Potential of Services Trade in Developing Countries: An Overview / Olivier Cattaneo, Michael Engman, Sebastian Saez, Robert M. Stern -- 2. Increasing Labor Mobility: Options for Developing Countries / Sherry Stephenson, Gary Hufbauer -- 3. Legal Services: Does More Trade Rhyme with Better Justice? / Olivier Cattaneo, Peter Walkenhorst -- 4. Health without Borders: International Trade for Better Health Systems and Services / Olivier Cattaneo -- 5. Market Structure, Liberalization, and Trade: The Case of Distribution Services / Julian Arkell -- 6. Building Empires Overseas: Internationalization in the Construction Services Sector / Michael Engman -- 7. Exporting Information Technology Services: In the Footsteps of India / Michael Engman -- 8. Accounting Services: Ensuring Good Governance, Financial Stability, and Economic Growth through Trade / Olivier Cattaneo, Peter Walkenhorst -- 9. Engineering Services: How to Compete in the Most Global of the Professions / Olivier Cattaneo, Linda Schmid, Michael Engman -- 10. Understanding Trade in Environmental Services: Key issues and Prospects / Nora Carina Dihel -- Index. Publisher Marketing: The services sector is key to economic growth, competitiveness, and poverty alleviation. Comprising more than two-thirds of the world economy, services are now commonly traded across borders, helped by technological progress and the increased mobility of persons. In recent years, a number of developing countries have looked at trade in services as a means to both respond to domestic supply shortages and to diversify and boost exports. Any country can tap into the trade potential of services, but not every country can become a services hub across sectors. The opening of the services sector potentially comes with large benefits, but also fears and costs that should not be overlooked. This book provides useful guidelines for the assessment of a country s trade potential, and a roadmap for successful opening and export promotion in select services sectors. It looks at both the effects of increased imports and exports, and provides concrete examples of developing country approaches that have either succeeded or failed to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of opening. It focuses on sectors that have been rarely analyzed through the trade lens, and/or have a fast growing trade potential for developing countries. These sectors are: accounting, construction, distribution, engineering, environmental, health, information technology, and legal services. This book is designed for non-trade specialists to understand how trade can help improve access to key services in developing countries, and for trade specialists to understand the specific characteristics of each individual sector. It will be a useful tool for governments to design successful trade opening or promotion strategies, and for the private sector and consumers to advocate sound domestic policy reforms accompanying an offensive trade agenda." Review Citations: Reference and Research Bk News 11/01/2010 pg. 125 (EAN 9780821383537, Paperback) Contributor Bio:  Stern, Robert M Stern is Professor of Economics and Public Policy, University of Michigan