31 January 2025

International Trade in Services by Mode of Supply (MoS)

Year 2023. Provisional data

Main results

Cross-border supply of services (provided from Spain to a third country, or vice versa) represented most of the exports (54.9%) and imports (76.2%) of services in 2023.
Travel and Transport exports were the most significant within consumer services in Spain and abroad.
Exports of Other business services were the most prominent in service provision involving the presence of individuals.

More information

The INE is publishing today, for the first time, the annual statistics on International Trade in Services by Mode of Supply (MoS). This report provides data on service exports and imports provided from or destined for Spain, and it is one of the INE’s new statistical reports aimed at providing more detailed economic insights into the globalisation process.

Below is an explanation of each mode of supply, using the example of legal services provided by a law firm:

Mode 1 (cross-border supply of services from Spain to a third country, or vice versa). This mode refers to cases where, for example, legal services provided by a company are supplied to a non-resident client in a third country via email or online, without the physical presence of either the law firm or the client.
Mode 2 (the recipient of the service or their property travels to the supplier’s country to receive the service). This mode includes, for example, when a client travels to the country of the law firm to receive legal services there. Or when an owner’s goods are sent to another country for transformation, processing, or repair.
Mode 3 or ’commercial presence’ (services provided through foreign subsidiaries in the recipient’s country). In the given example, this would occur when legal services are provided through a subsidiary established by the law firm in the client’s country of residence. Results for this mode will be published next year.
Mode 4 (when a person travels to a third country to provide their services). For example, when a law firm sends one or more of its lawyers in person to the client’s country of residence to provide legal services there.

2023 Results

Service exports supplied via Mode 1 (cross-border supply) reached 109,337.5 million euros in 2023, accounting for 54.9% of total exports across all modes (M1, M2, and M4). On the other hand, imports reached 84,446.4 million euros (76.2%).

For Mode 2 (consumption in Spain for exports, and consumption abroad for imports), exports and imports stood at 86,225.3 million euros (43.3% of the total) and 24,336.1 million euros (22.0%), respectively.

Regarding Mode 4 (presence of individuals) the value of exports amounted to 3,738.9 million euros, while imports reached 2,075.8 million euros. In both cases, these figures represented 1.9% of the total value supplied across all modes.

Exports and imports of services by modes of supply. Year 2023

As a percentage of the total (M1+M2+M4)

Results by EBOPS 2010 main components

The highest Mode 1 exports were recorded in Other business services (32,334.6 million euros) and Distribution services (24,531.0 million euros). For Mode 2, the highest exports were in Travel (excluding goods), reaching 78,859.8 million euros. And in Mode 4, the most significant exports were in Other business services, with 2,510.3 million euros.

Regarding imports, Mode 1 had the highest value in Distribution services (26,347.0 million euros). For Mode 2, the highest value was in Travel (excluding goods), reaching 22,708.7 million euros. Meanwhile, the combined value of Personal, cultural, and recreational services and Government goods and services (excluding goods) accounted for the highest imports under Mode 4, reaching 776.2 million euros.

International supply of services by trade flow, mode of supply and EBOPS 2010 main components. Year 2023

Million euros

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    "3,738.9",
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    "84,446.4",
    "24,366.1",
    "2,075.8",
    "1,693.6",
    "254.9",
    "1,412.5",
    "26.2",
    "569.3",
    "25.0",
    "537.0",
    "7.4",
    "2,830.5",
    "95.9",
    "2,573.9",
    "160.7",
    "731.6",
    "69.1",
    "412.5",
    "250.0",
    "19,952.5",
    "16,963.0",
    "2,837.8",
    "151.7",
    "10,235.9",
    "9,544.1",
    "657.7",
    "34.1",
    "78,859.8",
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    "0.0",
    "22,708.7",
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    "0.0",
    "601.4",
    "156.3",
    "4.4",
    "440.7",
    "327.7",
    "185.8",
    "3.0",
    "138.9",
    "1,903.4",
    "1,874.9",
    "13.1",
    "15.4",
    "2,363.3",
    "2,303.1",
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    "60.2",
    "6,117.4",
    "6,081.8",
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    "35.6",
    "1,980.8",
    "1,965.9",
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    "14.9",
    "3,876.1",
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    "2.8",
    "6,404.7",
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    "56.9",
    "20,369.9",
    "20,196.7",
    "15.1",
    "158.1",
    "11,348.6",
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    "10.9",
    "90.2",
    "35,260.3",
    "32,334.6",
    "415.4",
    "2,510.3",
    "25,542.5",
    "24,868.4",
    "27.2",
    "647.0",
    "3,305.8",
    "2,975.1",
    "93.2",
    "237.6",
    "2,328.2",
    "1,542.8",
    "9.3",
    "776.2",
    "24,531.0",
    "24,531.0",
    "0.0",
    "0.0",
    "26,347.0",
    "26,347.0",
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Results by geographical areas

Exports and imports with Europe as the counterpart geographical area were the highest across all three supply modes in 2023.

Exports to Europe via Mode 1 amounted to 75,529.8 million euros, with 59,806.8 million euros directed to the EU27. America ranked second as a destination for Mode 1 exports, with 22,069.2 million euros.

On the other hand, imports via Mode 1 in Europe amounted to 58,875.2 million euros, of which 46,693.6 million euros originated from the EU27. Again, America took second place, with 11,174.8 million euros.

International supply of services by trade flow, mode of supply and geographical areas. Year 2023

Million euros

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    "24,366.1",
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    "66,844.3",
    "2,515.9",
    "76,020.6",
    "58,875.2",
    "15,827.8",
    "1,317.6",
    "107,447.5",
    "59,806.8",
    "45,789.8",
    "1,850.9",
    "60,747.1",
    "46,693.6",
    "13,000.1",
    "1,053.4",
    "37,442.5",
    "15,723.0",
    "21,054.4",
    "665.0",
    "15,273.5",
    "12,181.6",
    "2,827.7",
    "264.2",
    "34,833.8",
    "22,069.0",
    "12,037.1",
    "727.7",
    "15,471.2",
    "11,174.8",
    "4,017.0",
    "279.5",
    "3,555.0",
    "1,462.3",
    "1,912.2",
    "180.4",
    "4,897.1",
    "2,852.5",
    "2,001.1",
    "43.5",
    "12,951.8",
    "8,460.9",
    "4,230.1",
    "260.9",
    "12,130.1",
    "9,679.0",
    "2,296.2",
    "154.9",
    "1,622.8",
    "489.4",
    "1,095.1",
    "38.3",
    "510.8",
    "412.9",
    "90.5",
    "7.4"
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Revisions and data updates

The data released today on M1, M2 and M4 are provisional. The final data on M3 and the rest of modes will be released next year. All results of this statistical operation are available on INEbase.

Methodological note

International Supply of Services by Modes of Supply (MoS) is a structural statistics of synthesis and analysis, aiming at estimating from a global perspective, the international trade in services values supplied by the four modes recognized by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS): Mode 1 (M1): Cross-border supply; Mode 2 (M2): Consumption abroad (or in Spain); Mode 3 (M3): Commercial presence; and Mode 4 (M4): Presence of physical persons.

MoS is performed by all EU member states in compliance with Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on European business statistics, and its Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2152 laying down technical specifications and arrangements.

MoS provides a comprehensive view of international trade in services by including the four modes of supply recognized by WTO. In this way, it differentiates services transactions between residents and non-residents (M1, M2 and M4) included in Balance of payments statistics (BoP), from services transactions between residents through commercial presence (M3), included in Foreign affiliates statistics (FATS). MoS also includes estimates of Distribution services supplied by wholesalers and retailers of foreign trade in goods supplied by M1 and M3.

Type of operation :: continuous annual periodicity.
Population scope :: resident institutional units included in Balance of payments statistics (M1, M2 and M4); affiliate enterprises resident in Spain under foreign control and non-resident affiliate enterprises under Spanish control (M3).
Geographical scope:: Resident and non-resident units in the economic territory of Spain included within the population scope.
Reference period:: natural year.
Collection method:: from existing statistical sources carried out by different institutions : Balance of payments statistics for goods and services (BoP), International Trade in Services Survey (ITS-S), Foreign Affiliates Statistics (FATS), Trade by Enterprise Characteristics (TEC) and Structural Business Statistics (SBS), among others.

More information on methodology and the standardised methodological report.

INE statistics are elaborated according to the European statistics Code of Good Practices. More information on Quality in INE and Code of Good Practices.

For further information see

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