Global first release of guide on the statistics and development policies of service trade data.

On the 13th, it was learned from the Ministry of Commerce that the "Guide to Statistics and Development Policies for Trade in Services" was globally launched during the 2025 China International Trade in Services Fair. The head of the Ministry of Commerce's Service Trade Department introduced that with the support of the Chinese government, a expert working group was established by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, which spent two years compiling the above-mentioned guide and extensively solicited opinions from UN member states, relevant institutions, and scholars. The guide introduces what service trade is, how to measure service trade in the context of digital development, and aggregates more than 20 key data sets from multiple countries, regions, and international organizations, to guide developing countries in finding data sources outside their own countries and combining domestic data with international sources to form more comprehensive statistics, providing practical guidance for government decision-making. The official said that currently, services account for two-thirds of the value of exported manufactured goods, and their core position in the global value chain is increasingly prominent. Obtaining services through trade, especially knowledge-intensive services, will effectively enhance a country's industrial competitiveness, which is especially important for developing countries. However, the realization of the potential of service trade still faces many challenges, among which the lack of statistical data and dispersed sources, as well as the lack of statistical tools and methods, are important factors restricting the development of service trade in developing countries. The release of the guide will play a positive role in improving the data collection and analysis capabilities of developing countries in service trade, enhancing statistical levels and policy-making capabilities.