WTO members discuss professional qualification recognition and other services trade issues

Recognition of professional qualifications

An experience- and information-sharing session on the recognition of professional qualifications (RPQs) of service providers was held on 2 October, as agreed by the Council for Trade in Services.

The session began with the WTO Secretariat providing an overview of relevant provisions of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) as well as bilateral and regional trends in this area. This was followed by extensive experience-sharing by experts from various international organizations, industry associations and regional bodies — including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the Southern African Development Community. Several members, from both developing and developed economies spanning different regions, shared their national experiences with RPQs.

At the Council meeting the following day, WTO members discussed key takeaways from the thematic session. Members highlighted the challenges and opportunities of facilitating the recognition of professional qualifications, and emphasised obstacles that hinder RPQs and market access for service providers. Several highlighted the particular importance of enhanced RPQs for small service providers from developing and least-developed members. Many stressed the WTO’s role in facilitating RPQs, noting that the Council for Trade in Services provides a forum for evidence collection and best-practice sharing and calling for enhanced notifications of such measures in line with GATS obligations.

Various members welcomed the useful practices applied in many recent mutual-recognition agreements (MRAs) and suggested more experience-sharing on specific services industries, such as engineering. Some suggested creating an MRA repository and developing an online course on MRAs to strengthen capacity-building for developing members.

In closing the discussion, the Chair of the Council for Trade in Services, Ambassador Ram Prasad Subedi (Nepal), encouraged members to reflect on the information and experiences that had been shared and consider how they may take the work forward. He recalled that the Council planned to hold the next thematic session on the green services economy and sustainable development during the upcoming cluster of services meetings in December

Participation of least-developed countries in services trade

Malawi, speaking on behalf of the LDC Group, reported that a way forward had been found on its proposed online survey, a tool designed to collect information on how LDC service suppliers engage with consumers and businesses in other economies, particularly those that had notified preferences in favour of LDC services and service suppliers under the LDC waiver. The Group emphasized that the survey is a key tool for fully operationalizing the waiver, in line with the mandate adopted by ministers at the 12th and 13th ministerial conferences.

Members welcomed the latest progress and noted that information on LDC services trade, including that gathered through tools such as the LDC survey , would assist members in reporting on this topic at the 14th Ministerial Conference in March 2026.

Services trade concerns

The Council took up an item requested by China, which reiterated its concerns over recent unilateral tariff measures and called for collective efforts to safeguard the global order in trade in services.

Members discussed several other recurring specific trade concerns. Japan and the United States repeated their concerns over cybersecurity measures implemented by China and Viet Nam, with several other members echoing these concerns. In relation to this discussion, China presented its policies and practices for facilitating cross-border data flows.

China once again expressed concerns regarding certain US services measures and India’s measures affecting mobile applications.

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