The Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services is a joint publication of six agencies:- the UN, EC, IMF, OECD, UNCTAD, and WTO. It addresses a growing demand from governments, businesses and analysts for more relevant, detailed and internationally comparable statistics on services trade. Special emphasis is given to the statistical information needs of international trade negotiations and agreements.

The Manual provides a coherent internationally-agreed conceptual framework within which countries can structure the statistics they compile and report on international services trade. It builds on and links to existing standards, in particular the fifth edition of the International Monetary Fund’s Balance of Payments Manual and the 1993 System of National Accounts. It categorises the services that are traded internationally, and how they are traded in practice, taking into account the modes of supply of services.