Toward an Index on the Liberalization of Cultural Products in Trade Agreements

Abstract

Cultural products (including goods and services) mainly comprise newspapers, magazines, books, films, video and music recordings, radio and television, either in traditional or digital format. Insofar as such products reflect the cultural identities of states, a trade and culture debate has ensued as to whether, or the extent to which, they should be exempted from international trade obligations. In recent decades, the proliferation of Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) and the digital revolution have rendered the debate ever more salient. If the liberalization of cultural services, notably audiovisual ones, has been well documented at the multilateral level, it is much a work in progress for PTAs. To help in this endeavour, the article presents a numerical index, to measure the degree of liberalization of cultural services within the universe of PTAs. Alongside detailed qualitative analyses, a numerical index allows systematic comparisons of the degree of liberalization of cultural products in trade agreements, distinguishing notably across specific states and agreements.