National Treatment

What is national treatment?

National treatment ensures that imported services are treated the same in a country as "like" domestic services. 

Why is national treatment significant?

National treatment rules help to eliminate barriers to trade by giving imported services the same treatment as domestic services.

What problems are associated with national treatment?

Discriminatory treatment of cross-border services constitutes a major barrier to the services trade. Discriminatory treatment could include higher taxes on imports or separate regulations for foreign and domestic businesses.

How will the TiSA affect national treatment?

The TiSA aims to ensure fair and equal treatment of both international and domestic services. All parties to the TiSA would be required to provide national treatment across all service sectors, with only narrow exceptions.