Trade in Services for Development (TS4D)
Export promotion strategies
To help developing economies take advantage of export opportunities offered by services trade, the WTO and the World Bank, in partnership with the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC) and other regional partners, have prepared a report on best practices on services export promotion strategies. The African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank also supported this joint effort to publish a series of country case studies.
Objectives of the study
The study analyzes the export promotion strategies of selected developing economies in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The case studies identify critical elements of these economies' support strategies for services export development. They also propose recommendations on how to support capacity-building for exporters of services, attract FDI and promote skills mobility in developing economies.
The best practices emerging from the study will help developing economies design or review their export promotion strategies. They will also guide future assistance and advice provided by the World Bank, the WTO and other international organizations and development banks in the context of the Trade in Services for Development initiative.
The study will help developing economies assess and enhance their services trade competitiveness and develop services trade strategies.
Launch of the study
Draft chapters were presented at the TS4D conference in December 2025. The publication was launched at the WTO Public Forum in September 2026. The publication is available here.