The United States in International Trade in Services: Characteristics of Participation and Regulatory Approaches

This article examines the dynamics, structural characteristics and geography of U.S. foreign trade in services. It finds that services have long played a central role in the U.S. economy, both as the main driver of GDP and through their contribution to job creation. At the same time, services adapt well to crisis situations, making the U.S. economy more resilient. The authors note that the United States has comparative competitive advantages in the digital sphere. The article outlines the country's position in international agreements and negotiations related to trade in services and e-commerce is revealed. In 2023, the United States dramatically revised its trade policy on data flows, withdrawing traditional proposals to ban localisation requirements and protect source code. This sharp turnaround in trade policy shows that the Biden administration was at the center of an internal struggle over the rules of international digital trade, and that the contours of a new strategy will be refined under the new administration. The article concludes that risks to the U.S. services sector are growing due to other countries' advances in digitisation, their pursuit of technological sovereignty, the fragmentation of e-commerce regulation, and the tightening of policies aimed at attracting investment to the United States.

trade in services, investment, digital services, WTO