APEC Officials Promote Trade, Green Growth at San Francisco

Issued by APEC Senior Officials' Meeting

San Francisco, California, 27 September 2011 - Senior officials from the 21 member economies of the APEC forum took action in San Francisco, California, earlier this week when they met to seek deeper regional economic integration, promote sustainable growth, and facilitate job creation.

U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs Michael Froman, who chaired the meeting, noted the progress of the ambitious initiatives by the time President Obama hosts the APEC Leaders in Honolulu in November.

APEC representatives considered ways to build toward a seamless regional economy by advancing three priorities in 2011: strengthening regional economic integration and expanding trade and investment; encouraging green growth; and advancing regulatory cooperation and convergence in order to reduce the barriers that businesses-especially smaller companies-face in the region.

"It is encouraging to see these economies working together to achieve shared prosperity and growth," Froman said.

APEC officials agreed to address barriers to trade and investment, including work on "next-generation" issues that businesses confront today throughout the region, thereby encouraging the growth of businesses and the creation of new jobs. The progress will be presented to Leaders in just 48 days when they meet in Honolulu.

Senior officials discussed how APEC can make progress to catalyze environmentally sustainable growth, encourage the trade of environmental goods and services, and foster the implementation of environmentally responsible policies and standards. APEC senior officials also made strides toward advancing cooperation and convergence in regulations between economies, so that businesses can trade more easily throughout the region.

APEC's work in these areas is making an important contribution to strengthening regional integration and expanding trade-and will move economies in the region closer to achievement of the vision of a free trade area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), a next-generation trade agreement, removing barriers to trade throughout the APEC region.

The senior officials convened for the third time this year to continue deliberations on how best to achieve concrete results through the APEC process in 2011. In addition, there were several other APEC meetings in San Francisco this month advancing APEC initiatives ahead of the Leaders' Meeting in Honolulu in November: the Transportation and Energy Ministerial Conference, the Transportation Ministerial Meeting, the Women and the Economy Summit (WES), the Secure Trade in the APEC Region (STAR) conference, and the APEC Senior Disaster Management Officials Forum.

Details about APEC meetings, events, projects and publications can be found at www.apec.org or www.apec2011.gov . You can also follow APEC on Twitter and join us on Facebook.

ENDS

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