Core Insights - The World Trade Organization (WTO) has significantly revised its global trade growth forecast for 2026 down to 0.5%, a substantial decrease from the previous estimate of 1.8% made in August [1] - The report indicates that service trade will also be indirectly affected by tariff impacts, with global service export growth expected to decline from 6.8% in 2024 to 4.6% in 2025, and further down to 4.4% in 2026 [1] - WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala noted that despite strong headwinds from unilateral tariff measures and trade policy uncertainty, the multilateral trading system provides stability, allowing global trade to show some resilience [1] Trade Growth Projections - The WTO has adjusted its 2025 global goods trade growth forecast from 0.9% in August to 2.4% [1] - In the first half of 2025, global goods trade volume is projected to grow by 4.9% year-on-year, with the dollar value of global goods trade increasing by 6% [1] - Key drivers for this growth include North America increasing imports to avoid high tariffs, improved macroeconomic conditions, and a surge in demand for AI-related products [1]