Austrian National Bank and Statistics Austria launch new detailed statistics on international services trade by modes of supply

The Austrian National Bank (OeNB) and Statistics Austria have published a new statistical offering providing, for the first time, detailed data on how Austrian services are supplied to customers abroad using the four General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) “modes of supply”. The release is positioned as a practical information source for understanding developments in international services trade where market access conditions and trade restrictions differ by delivery mode. The dataset distinguishes cross-border supply (Mode 1), consumption abroad (Mode 2), commercial presence through establishment abroad (Mode 3) and temporary movement of persons (Mode 4). Mode 3 is identified as the most important channel for Austrian firms, accounting for 50% of supply and EUR 95.3bn in volume, particularly in construction, personal services and insurance and financial services; Mode 1 is the second-largest channel in exports at EUR 61bn. Mode 2 is mainly linked to tourism, while Mode 4 remains of minor importance. For 2023, the first year with information available across all four modes, Austria recorded a net surplus of EUR 5.4bn in international services trade, driven mainly by construction, banking and tourism; the surplus stemmed from the European Union, while a deficit was recorded vis-à-vis non-EU countries, and Mode 1 showed a deficit of EUR 9.5bn that was offset by other modes, especially commercial presence. The publication is supported by an OeNB report and corresponding online data pages from both OeNB and Statistics Austria.