As The U.S. Chairs APEC, Where Does America Stand On Trade?

“During
the
year
when
the
U.S.
hosts,
we
really
drive
the
agenda”
–


Monica
Hardy
Whaley,
President,
National
Center
for
APEC

The
21
member
economies
of
the
Asia-Pacific
Economic
Cooperation
(APEC)
forum
have
one
thing
in
common:
the
Pacific
Ocean.
To
be
a
member
of
the
regional
group,
founded
in
1989,
the
waves
of
world’s
largest
ocean
had
to
lap
your
shores.
The
concept
was
almost
romantic,
evoking
images
of
naval
trade
routes
and
adventures
at
sea.
Chile
and
China
were
members;
India
and
Argentina
were
not.
But
the
goals
were
clear:
greater
economic
cooperation
and
trade.

The
last
time
the
U.S.
was
APEC’s
annual
host,
in
2011,
that
core
mission
still
prevailed
as
the
then
Secretary
of
Trade
Hillary
Clinton
promoted
a
massive
trade
proposal
known
as
the
Trans
Pacific
Partnership
(TPP).
At
the
APEC
Summit
in
Honolulu
that
year,
Clinton
said
she
hoped
the
pact
would
“bring
together
economies
from
across
the
Pacific,
developed
and
developing
alike,
into
a
single
21st
century
trading
community.”

The
world
changed
and
so
did
the
U.S.
stance
on
the
merits
of
the
pact,
not
to
mention
global
trade
itself.
Relations
with
China
and
Russia
are
also
in
a
very
different
place.
So
what
does
the
U.S.
stand
to
gain
in
2023,
as
it
steps
up
to
chair
APEC
again?

For
that,
we
turn
to
Monica
Hardy
Whaley,
longtime
president
of
The
National
Center
for
APEC
(NCAPEC),
a
U.S.
business
association
that
promotes
private-sector
priorities
in
the
region
via
the
APEC
gatherings
and
other
means.

“During
the
year
when
the
U.S.
hosts,
we
really
drive
the
agenda,”
says
Hardy
Whaley.
“The
other
partners
really
look
forward
to
those
years
when
we
are
chairing
because
we
d0
engage
with
the
region.”

Indeed,
she
argues
that
APEC’s
value
to
American
businesses
and
the
U.S.
economy
is
greater
than
ever.
With
members
accounting
for
almost
half
of
global
trade—and
more
than
62%
of
U.S.
goods
exports—the
group
has
become
an
important
forum
for
promoting
everything
from
common
standards
and
protocols
to
measures
to
enhance
climate
resilience
and
relationships
in
the
region.
Through
NCAPEC,

Along
with
annual
summit.
the
U.S.
will
host
several
key
gatherings,
starting
with
a
“Senior
Officials”
meeting
in
Palm
Springs
in
February.
In
May,
there
will
be
a
set
of
meetings
in
Detroit,
including
a
gathering
of
transportation
ministers
that
Transportation
Secretary
Pete
Buttigieg
will
host
as
well
as
a
trade
ministers
meeting
hosted
U.S.
Trade
Representative
Trade
Katherine
Tai.
In
August,
six
different
ministerial
meetings
will
take
place
in
Seattle
that
will
look
at
ways
to
enhance
cooperation
and
opportunities
in
areas
such
as
women
in
the
economy,
small
and
medium
enterprises,
energy,
health,
food
security,
climate
resilience
and
more.

The
heads
of
state
will
come
together
in
November
for
the
annual
APEC
Summit
in
San
Francisco.
That’s
also
the
time
when
the
leaders
of
some
of
the
world’s
largest
companies
will
also
meet
at
the
APEC
CEO
Summit.
That,
too,
is
evolving.
For
more,
click
on
the
video
above
to
get
a
preview
of
what
to
expect
from
America’s
year
of
chairing
APEC.