Stage set for APEC Trade Ministers meeting in Indonesia

Stage set for APEC Trade Ministers meeting in Indonesia

Issued By the APEC Second Senior Officials’ Meeting

Surabaya, Indonesia, 19 Apr 2013 - APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade will convene this weekend in Surabaya, Indonesia to lay out a realistic path for rejuvenating trade and global growth.

APEC economies seek to make it easier to conduct business by advancing their work to lower barriers, improve regional connectivity and promote more sustainable, inclusive growth in the region, according to Ambassador Yuri Thamrin, the 2013 Chair of the APEC Senior Officials whose preparatory meeting concluded here on Friday.

“We will provide support to help ensure the success of APEC Leaders and Ministers when they meet in Bali in October and for the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference that will also be there in December,” Ambassador Thamrin said.

APEC economies account for around half of global gross domestic product and total trade, and continue to outperform the rest of the world in terms of growth. Their increasing market integration, resistance to protectionism and commitment to reduce tariff and non-tariff measures combine to foster a better business environment which is boosting productivity in the region.

“Building on APEC’s progress is essential to lifting businesses, particularly the small and medium enterprises that are the backbone of our region’s economies,” Ambassador Thamrin said. “This helps to create new employment opportunities, raise living standards and deliver a wider range of goods and services to consumers at lower prices.”

APEC economies are addressing issues such as supply chain development and the implementation of their commitment to reduce tariffs on a significant number of environmental goods and services to five percent or less by 2015.

“We are intent on advancing development that builds resistance to shocks,” Ambassador Thamrin said. “This means ensuring that our path to sustainable growth takes into account equity for the people.”

High on APEC economies’ agenda is the furthering of issues that boost productivity through better preventative health strategies, inclusive economic development and improved production and access to food supplies.

“We have started launching fresh initiatives and are gathering political will to enhance economic development in the region,” Ambassador Thamrin explained. “Our goal is to establish a unified framework for integrating APEC economies through better physical, institutional or people-to-people connectivity.”

“This framework will play a vital role in promoting new sources of growth that are needed to increase prosperity in the region.”

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