Promoting Balanced Trade Through APEC

The United States views Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, as the premier platform to advance U.S.-business-friendly economic policies in the region. This is an important dimension for President Donald Trump’s highly successful economic agenda for the United States with Asia, said Casey Mace, U.S. Senior Official to the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum in a recent briefing.

“President Trump’s agenda is already reaping enormous economic dividends for the American economy. To name just a few, the President’s secured commitments for over $18 trillion in new investments; he’s forged new trade agreements or framework agreements with a series of countries in Asia that will lead to more American exports; and the U.S. economy is posting some of the fastest growth in years – the latest GDP growth is over 4 percent.”

“A large part of the reason we are seeing these great results for the American economy is because we’re forging. . .continued strong partnerships with our Asia partners, and we do that in part through APEC,” explained Mr. Mace.

Ongoing priorities include promoting a fair and balanced trade relationship with U.S. partners in the region, and to work with APEC partners to open their markets up more to American exports. At this year’s First Senior Officials’ Meeting hosted by China, Mr. Mace and an American delegation of more than 50 U.S. government and private sector representatives, discussed promoting U.S. technology, U.S. agriculture, energy exports, and U.S.-business-friendly economic policies in the Asia Pacific region.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, continues to be a central issue. Last year APEC announced a $20 million AI initiative, which is designed to help accelerate the adoption of American AI technology in the region.

And finally, the U.S. is working with countries in the region to advance deregulation efforts and improve the overall regional business environment.

APEC remains an important platform for the United States and for all the economies in the region to expand economic cooperation and thereby create a more prosperous region. The United States economy is outperforming expectations, said Mr. Mace, and remains a desirable destination for foreign investment, offering U.S. economic partners in the region great opportunities.

“We believe that APEC over the years has yielded great prosperity for the United States,” said Mr. Mace, “and under the America First agenda under President Trump, we see APEC as an important component to continuing to promote U.S. exports, promote more balanced trade, promote technology, energy, agricultural exports to the region.”