Services in regional agreements between Latin American and developed countries

The paper analyses the main features of trade agreements covering services concluded between Latin American countries and developed country partners. The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) is devoted a full section with a view to setting out key analytical parameters for the ensuing approach to individual agreements with the United States, the European Union and Japan. By means of a very detailed comparison across agreements, a typology is established for classifying specific elements with relation to whether they simply mirror GATS provisions (GATS-neutral"), go beyond GATS provisions ("GATS-Plus") or fall short of GATS provisions in some respect ("GATS-Minus"). In doing that, it becomes apparent that often-made generalizations can be wrong and that any analysis focused on one or two elements in isolation is bound to be incomplete, inconclusive or simply inaccurate. A full section is also devoted to the question of policy space with a particular emphasis on if and when the agreements herein in question curtail governments' prerogatives to regulate and make policy on matters relating to services. The paper acknowledges that there are indeed many "sore spots" in those agreements but demonstrates that many of the existing mechanisms permit in any case some level of leeway for policy-makers. The paper concludes with ten lessons regarding trade in services agreements between Latin American countries and developed trading partners."