Trading Services for a Circular Economy

The report examines how firms utilize services to support circular economy activities and the impact of digitalization on this transition. Based on a survey of 96 firms, it finds that a high proportion of small and medium-sized enterprises engage in international services trade, particularly through digital trade and offshore commercial presence. While 40% of respondents faced no barriers, others identified regulatory differences concerning waste treatment and environmental impact reporting as significant obstacles to trade.

• A diverse array of services supports the circular economy, specifically including IT services, research and development, and recycling services.
• A surprisingly high number of specialized micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises participate in international services trade, primarily utilizing digital trade (mode 1) and offshore commercial presence (mode 3).
• While 40% of surveyed firms reported no barriers to importing or exporting circular economy services, others cited regulatory discrepancies regarding environmental impact reporting standards and the treatment of waste as primary barriers.

APA

Soprana,, S. T. S. F. T. (2020). Trading Services for a Circular Economy. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/trading-services-circular-economy

Chicago

Soprana,, Saara Tamminen,Malena Sell,Tim Forslund,Alice Tipping,Marta. Trading Services for a Circular Economy. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/publications/trading-services-circular-economy.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Soprana, |first1=Saara Tamminen,Malena Sell,Tim Forslund,Alice Tipping,Marta |title=Trading Services for a Circular Economy |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=5 October 2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/trading-services-circular-economy |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{soprana2020trading, author = {Soprana,, Saara Tamminen,Malena Sell,Tim Forslund,Alice Tipping,Marta}, title = {{Trading Services for a Circular Economy}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, month = oct, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/trading-services-circular-economy}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }