July 13, 2021
Regional Trade Agreements (RTA) have played an important role in breaking down trade barriers and promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth. This paper analyses the extent to which applied regulatory regimes are bound in multilateral and regional trade agreements. It reveals that in comparison to the multilateral regime, RTAs significantly reduce restrictions to services trade. Liberalization of services comes mostly from reduction in restrictions to foreign entry and access to public procurement. Few RTAs however show significant liberalization in the movement of people.