Atisa Agreement: A Comprehensive Trade Agreement for Asia

The Atisa Agreement, also known as the Agreement on Trade in Services among the Participating Members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), is a comprehensive trade agreement that covers the areas of trade in services, investment, and intellectual property rights among the APEC economies.

The Atisa Agreement was signed in 1995 by 12 APEC member economies, including Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, and the United States. It came into force in 1996 after the ratification by the participating economies.

The Atisa Agreement is a landmark agreement as it marked the first time that a group of countries agreed to liberalize trade in services on a comprehensive basis. Prior to the Atisa Agreement, trade in services was mainly regulated by bilateral agreements.

The Atisa Agreement is a unique agreement as it is a « negative list » agreement. This means that all services sectors are covered under the agreement except for those sectors that are explicitly excluded.

The Atisa Agreement covers a wide range of services sectors, including financial services, telecommunications, transportation, distribution, professional services, and tourism-related services.

The Atisa Agreement also provides for the liberalization of investment among the participating economies. This means that investors from one participating economy can invest in another participating economy without any restrictions.

Moreover, the Atisa Agreement also includes provisions on intellectual property rights. The participating economies agreed to strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights and to provide for measures to prevent their abuse.

The Atisa Agreement has been instrumental in promoting trade and investment among the participating economies. It has also contributed to the increased competitiveness of the services sectors in the APEC region.

Today, the Atisa Agreement remains an important agreement for the APEC region. Several APEC member economies are also negotiating new trade agreements based on the Atisa model.

In conclusion, the Atisa Agreement is a significant trade agreement that has contributed to the promotion of trade and investment in the services sectors among the APEC economies. Its unique « negative list » approach has set a new standard for trade in services agreements, and it remains an important agreement for the APEC region today.