The concept of ‘mode 5’ services was coined to describe those services embedded in and traded as part of goods and reveals the need to rethink about some aspects of international trade law, including rules of origin. The article starts with an introduction into ‘mode 5’ services, followed by an analysis on how this concept may render current rules of origin deceptive, especially by raising the issue of defining the origin of service components in manufactured goods. It ends with a discussion of the necessity to devise more precise rules of origin on one hand, and the risk of making them become more stringent on the other hand.
Global Trade and Customs Journal