WTO Director General: Trade in services will become the core of future trade and development

The "Trade in Services for Development" conference, jointly organized by the World Trade Organization and the World Bank, opened on December 3 in Geneva, Switzerland. In her opening remarks, the Director General of the World Trade Organization, Ivira, pointed out that trade in services will become the core of future trade and development.

Ivira said that in the past two decades, trade in services has become the fastest-growing part of global trade, and the digital revolution has injected strong momentum into this trend. According to the latest forecast from the World Trade Organization, the global trade volume of commercial services is expected to grow by 4.6% in 2025 and 4.4% in 2026, far exceeding the growth rate of goods trade. The World Trade Organization predicts that goods trade will grow by 2.4% this year and only by 0.5% next year. Among them, digital delivery services are the most dynamic sub sector, expected to achieve growth of 6.1% and 5.6% in 2025 and 2026, respectively.

Ivira emphasized that developing countries are seizing development opportunities related to trade in services, but also face some challenges, including insufficient policy attention to trade in services. Many developing and least developed economies continue to be marginalized in global trade in services, missing opportunities for growth, employment, and inclusive development.