The Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) only came about under intense pressure from industrialized countries. It favors countries with strong service industries and multinationals service corporations.
The service sector which includes basic supplies such as water, energy, health services, public transport, post, retail services but also sectors like tourism, landscape and environment conservation, as well as construction and banking, is characterized by its regulations, based on numerous procedures and legislation. In the context of the WTO, such regulations are increasingly defined as obstacles (or barriers) to free trade.