Trade in Services - TISA

Trade in Services Agreement

The TiSA negotiations between the US, EU, Australia and about 20 other mostly industrialised countries began in 2013. The negotiations were driven by global services corporations which want to deregulate trade in services further than what could be achieved through the World Trade Organisation. The negotiations were suspended in 2016 when the US Trump government withdrew from them. See background here and leaked documents here.

Major issues: secrecy, restrictions on government regulation of services, data regulation, expansion of foreign investment in competitive tendering, pressure for privatisation of services.

WTO secret plurilateral negotiating texts leaked

February 18, 2021: World Trade Organisation secret documents on the plurilateral: e-commerce, investment facilitation and services domestic regulation negotiations have been leaked to a civil society group website. Unpublished texts on the multilateral fisheries negotiations are also available at https://bilaterals.org/?-other-

Trading Privatisation Forum August 31 Sydney

This forum will examine how trade agreements like TiSA, the TPP and the RCEP promote deregulation, commercialisation and privatisation of services ranging from health, education and childcare, aged care and disability care to public transport, energy and water. It will also discuss strategies to defeat them.

Forum - Trading Privatisation - Time to Fight Back

Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are driving privatisation on a global scale. They pose a very real threat to public sector services and may even prevent attempts to re-nationalise when privatisation fails.

The TPP may be dead, and TiSA may be terminally ill, but RCEP is alive and well. And there are signs that with the demise of larger agreements, the same outcomes are being sought in bi-lateral agreements.

New report - TiSA Troubles: services, democracy and corporate rule in the Trump era

July 7, 2017: The TiSA (Trade in Services Agreement) talks are currently in limbo pending a signal from the Trump administration about its intentions. This report provides the latest analysis of the leaked texts which restrict governments’ ability to regulate and provide essential services.

TISA means trouble

16 May 2017: A new report and campaign has been launched by the ITF (International Transport Workers' Federation) to reveal the threat to jobs and workers’ rights posed by the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA).

According to the ITF, the new campaign - 'TISA means trouble' - enlists the power of trade unions to fight back against the deal, which has been negotiated in virtual secrecy by the European Union and 22 other countries. Find out more via their website: www.tisameanstrouble.org

Stop TiSA flags on Geneva bridge

22 April 2017: Civil society organisations in Geneva, where TiSA negotiations are held, have thrown the deal into the spotlight by gaining approval to have Stop TiSA flags displayed on a prominent bridge, which most commuters must pass over to get from one side of Geneva to another.

Ten things you need to know about TiSA

Ggovernments and corporations have worked hard to push through the Trade in Services Agreement” (TiSA) before talks were suspended by the Trump administration at the end of 2016.

However talks could resume - here's what you need to know.

Take Action on TiSA

TiSA negotiations have been shrouded in secrecy but leaked documents show that global services corporations and some governments are using the deal to push a deregulation and privatisation agenda.

Tell the Australian Government not to trade away the regulation of essential services. Send a message to Trade Minister Steve Ciobo here.

TiSA ministerial cancelled as unions ramp up criticism

Nov 24 2016: A ministerial meeting to discuss the Trade in Services Agreement planned for early December was cancelled after it became clear that a deal would not be reached in time considering Donald Trump’s election and ongoing EU concerns over data flows, market access and the regulation of new services.

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