2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Black Millennials: "Hillary...invested in violence against Black bodies." [View all]Baobab
(4,667 posts)Mode Four is a specific term that originated with the WTO GATS- i.e. the "fourth Mode of Supply"
Mode Four now basically refers to all cross border services provision in trade deals.
Here is a pro-globalization definition from Rupa Chanda..
"Services are traded through four modes of supply. These include: (1) cross-border supply which is analogous to trade in goods; (2) consumption overseas which is the movement of consumers to the home country of the service supplier; (3) commercial
presence or movement of capital; and (4) movement of labour (temporary migration) to supply the service in the foreign market.
The relative importance of these modes in the
delivery of the service depends on the characteristics of the sector, the regulatory framework
and trade barriers facing the sector, and other factors such as infrastructure,
labour market conditions, immigration policies, and the openness of the economy.
Although trade in services has expanded considerably, there remain numerous
regulations that constrain further expansion. While some of these regulations are in place to
address public policy concerns and cannot be termed barriers per se, some other regulations
are discriminatory and protectionist in nature. These barriers are particularly severe on the
mobility of factors, particularly, temporary movement of labour related to the delivery of services in overseas markets."