从国际服务贸易的实践来看，每个国家在其有竞争力的服务部门和产品上都积极支持完全的自由化，而在其国际竞争力较弱的服务部门及产品上则或明或暗地实行贸易保护政策。由于发展中国家与发达国家经济发展水平的巨大差异及发展中国家在技术密集型、知识密集型服务部门上的劣势，致使发展中国家必然会针对保护国内服务部门进行长期的斗争。另外，虽然WTO鼓励发展中国家更多地参与服务贸易，但这一目标是通过协商达成的，是否能真正获得服务贸易的利益，完全依赖于各个成员方“讨价还价”的能力。从这个意义上讲，发展中国家作出各种积极的努力是非常有益的。
Case Study
UNITED STATES-MEASURES AFFECTING THE CROSS-BORDER
SUPPLY OF GAMBLING AND BETTING SERVICES
WT/DS/285/AB/R
The Antiguan government has taken steps since the mid 1990s to build up a primarily Internet-based, “remote-access” gaming industry as part of its economic development strategy. In United States, internet-based gambling was prohibited according to the 1961 Wire Communications Act, and there are several States passing by laws also banning internet-based gambling. In 2003, the Congress adopted the Illegal Gambling Business Act, which provides that whoever conducts, finances, manages, supervises, directs or owns all or part of an illegal gambling business shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. At the same time, the Act restricted Americans to make payment to oversea gamble websites through credits and bank accounts. The measures above soon made the gaming industry of Antiguan going to pot.