Apple(US:AAPL) Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-10-21 13:22Group 1: Global Trade Overview - The World Trade Organization (WTO) forecasts a 2.4% growth in global trade volume for 2025, but significantly lowers the growth expectation for 2026 to 0.5%, indicating concerns about the future trade environment [1] - In contrast to goods trade, service trade shows relative resilience, with a projected growth rate of 4.6% for global service exports in 2025 and 4.4% in 2026 despite pressures [3][9] Group 2: Leading Service Exporters - The United States leads the world in service exports, with a total value of $1,122 billion in 2024, and a surplus of $3,070 billion after importing $815 billion [4][5] - The United Kingdom follows as the second-largest service exporter at $645 billion, while Ireland ranks third with $519 billion [4] - China ranks fifth with service exports of $444 billion but has a significant trade deficit of over $1,600 billion, importing $608 billion [4][5] Group 3: Ireland's Economic Transformation - Ireland's rise in service exports is attributed to its successful economic transformation from a primarily agricultural economy to a hub for high-tech industries, particularly in software and biotechnology [5][6] - The presence of major pharmaceutical companies and tech giants, such as Apple, has bolstered Ireland's service export capabilities [5][8] - Apple's operational model in Ireland, leveraging favorable tax policies and intellectual property strategies, exemplifies the competitive advantage that Ireland offers to multinational corporations [6][8] Group 4: Digital Economy and Future Trends - The digital delivery services sector is the fastest-growing part of global service trade, expected to grow by 6.1% by 2025, with Ireland positioned to benefit significantly due to its strengths in computer services and cloud computing [9] - The trend indicates a broader shift in global trade from "hard manufacturing" to "soft services," suggesting that small countries adept at adapting to digital transformations may gain substantial influence in the new global trade landscape [10]