Published Paper Details:

Global commercial services export comprises transport, travel, and goods-related services. Goods-related services include maintenance, repair, and manufacturing services. The paper analyzes goods-related services exports from 2005 to 2024, by utilizing secondary data from the WTO and demonstrating pictorial representations for comparison. The Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) Index indicates a country's export specialization, with values greater than one demonstrating a competitive advantage. Between 2012 and 2023, world exports of goods-related services grew significantly, led by China, South Asia with India and ASEAN countries also experiencing noticiable increases. Factors driving growth include digital transformation, logistics advancements, and the rise of India's IT sector. The upward trend in services exports indicates a transition towards high-value services across the region, with continued resilience in spite of facing the challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. Exporting goods-related services is vital for India and its neighbouring countries as they can make transition from developing to developed economies. China, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and the Philippines display a competitive edge in these exports, leveraging their integration into global value chains (GVCs), cheap-cost labor, improved logistics, and foreign direct investment (FDI). India, Indonesia, Mauritius, and Pakistan face challenges, including high logistical costs, regulatory complexities, and underdeveloped infrastructure, and as a result have revealed comparative advantage (RCA) below 1. Obstacles such as non-tariff measures, technical standards, and lengthy customs processes affect exports, particularly from India and South Asia. Recommended remedial measures include reducing the non-tariff barriers, improving infrastructure, and digitizing customs in order to facilitate trade.