Provides an overview of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), and the conditions of competition in the activities covered by specific commitments. Concludes that while many governments have undertaken commitments on a substantial portion of the service activities in the sectors under negotiations in the Uruguay Round, for the majority of developing countries, a commitment to services liberalisation is not evident from their Uruguay Round commitments. Also, MFN negotiations do not intervene significantly in activities where specific commitments have been finalised. Where negotiations are continuing under the GATS, MFN exemptions have been used mainly as an instrument of negotiation.

3/7/00 M2LMGR