WTO news: what’s been happening in the WTO

WTO NEWS: 1996 PRESS RELEASES

Leading exporters and importers in world trade in commercial services, 1994

Appendix :Table 3
(Billion dollars and percentage)
Rank EXPORTERS Value Share Change in value in

1994

Rank IMPORTERS Value Share Change in value in

1994

1 United States 178 .2 16 .5 7 1 United States 125 .0 12 .0 10
2 France 89 .1 8 .3 5 2 Japan 109 .2 10 .5 10
3 Italy 59 .1 5 .5 4 3 Germany 98 .8 9 .5 7
4 United Kingdom 58 .6 5 .4 7 4 France 69 .9 6 .7 3
5 Japan 57 .2 5 .3 9 5 Italy 58 .0 5 .6 2
6 Germany 53 .1 4 .9 1 6 United Kingdom 50 .8 4 .9 13
7 Netherlands 39 .6 3 .7 8 7 Netherlands 38 .0 3 .6 7
8 Belgium-Luxembourg 36 .3 3 .4 16 8 Belgium-Luxembourg 33 .8 3 .2 15
9 Spain 33 .7 3 .1 11 9 Canada 26 .1 2 .5 -5
10 Hong Kong 31 .6 2 .9 13 10 Austria 21 .3 2 .0 2
11 Austria 28 .8 2 .7 0 11 Chinese Taipei 21 .1 2 .0 0
12 Singapore 22 .9 2 .1 26 12 Korea, Rep. of 20 .2 1 .9 23
13 Switzerland 22 .8 2 .1 6 13 Hong Kong 18 .4 1 .8 16
14 Korea, Rep. of 18 .8 1 .7 28 14 Spain 18 .4 1 .8 0
15 Canada 18 .4 1 .7 4 15 Thailand 15 .9 1 .5 26
16 China 16 .2 1 .5 48 16 China 15 .7 1 .5 36
17 Australia 14 .1 1 .3 18 17 Australia 15 .5 1 .5 15
18 Chinese Taipei 13 .5 1 .2 -1 18 Sweden 14 .4 1 .4 8
19 Denmark 13 .4 1 .2 6 19 Norway 14 .3 1 .4 4
20 Sweden 13 .4 1 .2 9 20 Russian Federation 13 .8 1 .3 8
21 Norway 13 .0 1 .2 4 21 Singapore 12 .9 1 .2 21
22 Thailand 11 .3 1 .0 9 22 Switzerland 12 .7 1 .2 10
23 Turkey 10 .7 1 .0 2 23 Saudi Arabia 12 .5 1 .2 -10
24 Greece 9 .1 0 .8 12 24 Mexico 12 .1 1 .2 3
25 Mexico 8 .6 0 .8 3 25 Denmark 12 .0 1 .2 13
26 Egypt 7 .7 0 .7 9 26 Brazil 9 .8 0 .9 7
27 Russian Federationa 6 .9 0 .6 8 27 Indonesia 9 .5 0 .9 8
28 Portugal 6 .5 0 .6 -1 28 Malaysia 8 .7 0 .8 11
29 Israel 6 .4 0 .6 6 29 Israel 8 .0 0 .8 15
30 Malaysia 6 .4 0 .6 26 30 Indiaa 7 .6 0 .7 13
  Total of above 905 .3 84 .1 --   Total of above 904 .4 86 .7 --
  World 1077.1 100.0 --   World 1042.7 100.0 --

  a Secretariat estimates.

Note:
As from January 1996, the IMF began compiling Balance of Payments Statistics according to the Fifth Edition of the Balance of Payments Manual, which has been harmonized to the extent possible with National Account Statistics (1993). As a result, WTO data on commercial services have undergone a substantial revision. The product coverage of trade in goods in BOP statistics has become very similar to that used in customs statistics (for example, processing trade and bunkers). Comparability between the national data and BOP statistics has improved as definitions of some transactions have been clarified, leading to a more uniform application of the guidelines. BOP statistics also now provide more detail on commercial services transactions and an extended capital and financial account section.

The impact of these changes on the WTO's commercial services data are (a) a lower "world total" for commercial services and (b) some major revisions in the ranking of the principal services traders as the repercussions of these changes affect countries differently. The accuracy of historical comparisons is also affected, as many of these changes cannot be taken fully into account for preceding years. Moreover, as countries are implementing these recommended guidelines only gradually, commercial services data will remain subject to further revisions in the near future. Because some countries had begun implementing these changes when compiling statistics for 1994, the figures in this table reflect, to a degree, the new definitions.