Trading Services for a Circular Economy

This joint report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra examines the role of services and international services trade in supporting circular economy business models, identifying key service types, trade modes, and regulatory barriers.

• The report utilizes new empirical research consisting of a survey of 96 firms involved in circular economy business models and a series of in-depth interviews to analyze how these firms trade services internationally.
• A diverse array of services are identified as relevant to the circular economy, specifically including IT services, research and development, and recycling services.
• A significant number of the surveyed firms are specialized micro or small to medium-sized enterprises that engage in international services trade, primarily through commercial presence offshore (mode 3) and digital trade (mode 1).
• While 40% of survey respondents encountered no barriers to importing or exporting circular economy services, others identified obstacles stemming from regulatory differences, specifically regarding environmental impact reporting standards and the treatment of waste.

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} }