Two versions of the negative list released to open up cooperation in trade in services and welcome new opportunities

Two versions of the negative list released to open up cooperation in trade in services and welcome new opportunities

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Recently, the national version and the free trade pilot zone version of the cross-border service trade negative list were officially released. This marks the first time that my country has established a nationwide negative list management system for cross-border service trade. Industry experts interviewed by reporters from the “Economic Information Daily” said that the release of the two versions of the negative list is an important measure for my country to proactively benchmark international high-standard economic and trade rules and promote institutional opening up, and will provide new opportunities for global open cooperation in services trade.

Specifically, the negative list for cross-border trade in services is classified by national economic industry and uniformly lists special management measures for overseas service providers to provide services in a cross-border manner (through cross-border delivery, overseas consumption, and movement of natural persons). The national version and the free trade pilot zone version of the cross-border service trade negative list both involve agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery, construction industry, wholesale and retail industry, transportation, warehousing and postal industry, information transmission, software and information technology service industry, and financial industry. , leasing and business services, scientific research and technical services, education, health and social work, culture, sports and entertainment and other 11 categories. Among them, there are 71 national negative lists for cross-border services trade and 68 free trade zone negative lists.

In this regard, Li Jun, director of the Institute of International Trade in Services of the Ministry of Commerce Research Institute, told a reporter from the Economic Information Daily that this will collect and list the access measures that were scattered in various specific industries in the form of a list, clarifying the cross-border access measures. It will help improve the transparency and predictability of cross-border services trade management.

Zheng Wei, associate researcher at the China Service Outsourcing Research Center, told reporters that the negative list management model will greatly enhance the openness and facilitation level of my country’s three modes of service trade: cross-border delivery, overseas consumption, and movement of natural persons. “my country’s adoption of a negative list management model for cross-border trade in services is not only a useful attempt at my country’s trade management model, but also helps my country integrate its service trade management with international high-level management methods.”

Li Jun said that the Ministry of Commerce has released the Hainan Free Trade Port version of the negative list for cross-border service trade in July 2021. This is my country’s first negative list in the field of cross-border service trade. Over the past two years, the implementation of the Hainan version of the list has achieved results, promoting the rapid growth of local service trade.

From the data point of view, according to Hainan statistics, Hainan Province’s service import and export will increase by 29.6% year-on-year in 2023. “The pioneering exploration of Hainan Free Trade Port has laid the foundation and accumulated experience for the national implementation of the negative list management system for cross-border service trade.” Li Jun said. He also said that a higher level of openness in the field of service trade is also needed by the trade development situation.

According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, international trade in services has developed rapidly in the past decade. The average annual growth rate of global cross-border trade in services is 1.5 times the growth rate of trade in goods during the same period, accounting for 22% of global trade.

The person in charge of the Department of Trade in Services and the Department of Port Affairs of the Free Trade Zone of the Ministry of Commerce said that with the rapid breakthrough of digital technology and the in-depth development of digital transformation in various fields, the potential of cross-border service trade will be further stimulated and become an important engine for global trade growth. The scale of my country’s service trade ranks among the top in the world, and the market potential is huge.

“By issuing a negative list for cross-border trade in services, my country has relaxed market access and optimized the business environment, attracting high-quality overseas service providers to enter the service industry. While leading the rapid development and transformation and upgrading of the local service industry, it has also provided consumers with It will bring more choices and bring competition and innovation driving force to domestic service providers,” Zheng Wei said.

In order to promote the effective implementation of the negative list, relevant departments and local governments will also launch more supporting measures. The above-mentioned person in charge said that after the list is released, all departments will strengthen institutional innovation, establish and improve the negative list management system, implement opening measures in relevant fields, improve supervision and risk prevention and control mechanisms, and continuously improve the level of governance under open conditions. “In the next step, the Ministry of Commerce will work with various departments and localities to effectively implement the national version and the free trade pilot zone version of the cross-border service trade negative list, timely summarize and evaluate the implementation status, and insist on promoting high-quality development with high-level openness. “

Li Jun believes that these measures demonstrate my country’s determination and direction to continue to promote high-level opening up. The implementation of these measures will promote the high-quality development of my country’s services trade, and will also inject new vitality and provide new opportunities for global services trade.

Zheng Wei also said that in the context of sluggish world economic growth, my country’s independent efforts to increase the opening up of cross-border service trade will bring development opportunities to global service providers and promote the recovery of the world economy.

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