What are the barriers to trade in services in GATS?

1. Obstacles to personnel flow. This mainly involves the laws of immigration restrictions in various countries. Due to the differences in immigration laws, work permits and professional permits in different countries, the contents and methods of restrictions are also different. For example, it is stipulated that a certain amount of investment and equity can be used for immigration or temporary entry to provide services; It is required to employ the staff of the host country, and temporary entry can only be made by senior managers; Foreign service providers must be familiar with the language and laws of the host country, and professionals should receive education and training in the host country and obtain the qualification certificates of their examination institutions.

2. Obstacles to capital flow. This mainly involves the commercial problem, that is, whether the host country allows foreign enterprises to set up institutions in their own countries to carry out business.

3. Obstacles to the flow of service products. This involves restrictions on market access, that is, the procedures for host countries to allow foreign service providers to enter their own markets. This restriction often stipulates the maximum supply of services. When the services provided by foreign service providers exceed the limit, foreign service products are completely prevented from entering the domestic market and only domestic services are used. For example, some countries insist that advertisements must be produced and filmed in their territory; Require foreign freight forwarders to insure the goods they transport with the insurance company of the host country.

4. Obstacles to information flow. Because the information transmission mode involves sensitive issues such as national sovereignty, monopoly operation, national public telecommunication network and private secrets, all countries have various restrictions, such as technical standards, network access, price and equipment supply, data processing and copying, storage, use and transmission, subsidies, tax and foreign exchange control, and government industrial control policies. These measures not only hinder the development of information service trade, but also restrict the development of other service trade, because information flow is a prerequisite for service providers such as finance, tourism, transportation, warehousing, construction, accounting, auditing and law.