The United States retained its position as the world’s largest services market and the top global exporter and importer of services in 2023, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission’s (USITC) Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade: 2025 Annual Report. The report, released July 2, provides a detailed analysis of market conditions, trends, and the outlook for U.S. professional services.
Prepared annually by the USITC, an independent, nonpartisan factfinding agency, the report presents both qualitative and quantitative insights into U.S. services trade. The 2025 edition focuses on professional services, including accounting, advertising, architecture, education, legal, and management consulting, and includes a special section on research and development services.
One thematic chapter explores how skills shortages and emerging technologies—particularly artificial intelligence—are reshaping competitiveness in professional services. A second examines how demographic shifts, increasing digitalization, and post-pandemic supply chain reorganizations are influencing demand for services across advanced and emerging markets.
• Accounting and Auditing: Firms are lowering costs through automation and offshore outsourcing of lower-skilled tasks while expanding higher-value advisory offerings.
• Architecture and Engineering: Persistent workforce shortages have led firms to adopt mentoring and flexible work policies. Technologies such as AI, drone imaging, and 3D modeling are improving operational efficiency.
• Legal Services: U.S. providers face complex foreign regulations while contending with competition from legal technology firms and alternative service providers offering more affordable solutions.
• Advertising: Demand has shifted away from linear TV toward streaming and social media content, with AI increasingly deployed to enhance consumer targeting.
• Education: U.S. universities continue efforts to attract international students amid declining domestic enrollment. However, international branch campuses face viability challenges, with many closing.
• Management Consulting: Growth is driven by corporate adaptation to digital transformation, workplace changes, and sustainability goals. The sector is under pressure from IT consultancies and freelance platforms.
During its 18th annual services roundtable in October 2024, the USITC convened industry stakeholders to discuss workforce shortages, demographic challenges, graduate underemployment, and the role of AI in professional services. These insights are integrated into the report’s analysis.
The Commission notes that AI is expected to augment or replace various professional tasks, while firms continue to navigate evolving labor dynamics and regulatory conditions globally.
Note: 2023 is the most recent year for cross-border trade data; 2022 for affiliate transactions.
Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade: 2025 Annual Report (Inv. No. 332-605, USITC Publication 5643, July 2025) is available on the USITC website. An interactive dashboard supplements the report.
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