At the APEC Summit last November, Leaders signed off on an agenda aimed at modernizing trade rules, speeding cross-border commerce, and focusing the organization on a forward-looking approach to AI adoption.

The declaration spotlights growing momentum to revitalize and update the WTO, while urging economies to move faster on practical steps that reduce friction for business. Ministerial communiqués, shaped by input from ABAC and PECC, underscore a stronger role for companies in tackling supply chain challenges and building resilience.

In business-facing outcomes, Ministers endorsed the ABAC-led APEC Centre of Excellence for Paperless Trade, signaling a push to scale digital trade tools that can cut red tape and streamline documentation across borders. Ministers also flagged the need to identify ways to use AI to facilitate trade, pointing to opportunities to improve trade efficiency through smarter processes, risk management, and compliance.

APEC Leaders also endorsed two headline deliverables from Korea focused on the region’s next wave of economic challenges and opportunities:

APEC AI Initiative (2026–2030): A multi-year plan to coordinate APEC work on AI, centered on:

• supporting successful AI adoption and transformation,
• building AI capacity across economies and workforces, and
• fostering investment conditions for resilient AI infrastructure.

APEC Collaborative Framework for Demographic Changes: A region-wide effort to respond to aging populations and shifting labor markets by:

• strengthening resilience to demographic change,
• modernizing human resources development,
• advancing technology-supported health and care systems,
• expanding inclusive economic participation,
• and deepening regional cooperation.

APEC China 2026 Planning and Priorities

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs convened APEC Senior Officials on December 11–12 in Shenzhen for preparatory meetings ahead of the APEC 2026 host year. The city will also serve as the site of next year’s APEC Leaders’ Meeting on November 18–19, 2026.

China selected Shenzhen to underscore its APEC 2026 themes of openness, innovation, and cooperation. Over the past 40 years, it has grown from a fishing village into one of China’s largest GDP-producing cities. To reinforce this narrative, China organized site visits to showcase major technology firms, including drone manufacturer DJI and tech behemoth Tencent.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu opened the ISOM plenary on December 12 with remarks that set the context for China’s APEC 2026 agenda which will focus on the following priorities and sub-themes:

• Openness – WTO reform, regional economic integration, connectivity
• Innovation – AI, digital economy, capacity-building, services
• Cooperation – inclusion, sustainability, technical cooperation

Charged with leading the execution of APEC 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is taking guidance from President Xi Jinping’s written submission to the APEC CEO Summit in Korea (available here), which calls on APEC to refocus on its original mission of building an Asia-Pacific community. China will further develop its plans for specific 2026 deliverables during SOM 1. At the same time APEC will be reviewing or renewing several ongoing initiatives on topics including connectivity, services, digital economy and supply chain connectivity.

China is also planning to host several sectoral ministerial meetings beginning mid-year, including Trade, Women and the Economy, Digital and AI, Tourism, Food Security, SME, Energy, Human Resources Development, Forestry, and Finance. NCAPEC looks forward to working with partner organizations in China to hold engagement opportunities for the private sector on the margins of many of these meetings.

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APEC Ministerials and Senior Officials’ Meeting

APEC SME Ministerial Meeting

Monica Hardy Whaley, NCAPEC president and ABAC USA alternate member shared a supply chain resiliency toolkit for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) at the APEC SME Ministerial. Developed in cooperation with UPS and J&J, the toolkit allows businesses to assess their supply chain resiliency across 27 indicators in areas such as supply chain flexibility, visibility, and redundancy. Access the toolkit here: https://supplychainresiliencetoolkit.ncapec.org

APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting

ABAC USA Member Giner Lew conveyed ABAC’s key recommendations to the APEC energy ministers during the 13th APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting. Business recommendations to the energy ministers include working to quickly reduce carbon emissions, prioritize reliable energy access for all, and to invest in the development of physical and digital energy infrastructure.

Third APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting

Dominic Ng, ABAC 2023 chair, informed APEC Senior Officials on the themes of the 2023 ABAC Report to Leaders, gave an update on the deliverables for the year, and discussed the outcomes of the Council’s most recent meeting in Cebu, Philippines.

Workshops and Dialogues

Energy Ministerial Public Private Sector Session

Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft welcomed APEC energy ministers to the Microsoft campus conference center for a ministerial session on the roles that public and private sectors can play in supporting APEC economies’ efforts to transition to clean energy sources.

Women’s Economic Forum: Public-Private Dialogue

ABAC USA member Laura Lane (second from left) participated in the WEF: Public-Private Dialogue on Women and the Economy. The conversation focused on women as key economic actors for all APEC economies and how investment in women leads to sustainable and inclusive economic growth and resilient communities.

Workshop in Support of Regional Cloud Transformation

NCAPEC board member companies participated in the second APEC Telecommunications and Information Working Group (TEL) Workshop in Support of Regional Cloud Transformation and contributed to the formulation of cloud principles. http://mddb.apec.org/Documents/2023/TEL/TEL67-PLEN/23_tel67_plen_017.pdf

APEC Human Resources Development Working Group’s workshop on Closing the Digital Skills Gap

Ms. Naria Santa Lucia, General Manager of Digital Inclusion for Microsoft, spoke about the importance of multistakeholder perspectives when considering AI and the future of work at the APEC Human Resources Development Working Group’s workshop on Closing the Digital Skills Gap: Promoting an Inclusive Digitally Skilled Workforce for Sustainable Growth.

30th PECC General Meeting

US-PECC organized the 30th PECC General Meeting during SOM 3. The annual General Meeting is PECC’s primary forum for developing strategic perspectives and advice for APEC. To complement the SOM 3 focus on digital issues under the moniker APEC Digital Month, the 30th General Meeting explored ways digital tools and new technologies can create innovative solutions to the region’s challenges and drive economic growth. Speakers included academics and researchers, NCAPEC board members, ABAC members, and representatives of local small businesses.

Memorable Moments

The U.S. Private Sector Host Committee, the Seattle City Host Committee, and US-PECC hosted APEC Senior Officials, PECC delegates, private sector attendees, and local minority chambers of commerce representatives for an evening reception at the Chihuly Museum.

SOM 3 and PECC General Meeting Reception at the Chihuly Museum

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell addressed APEC delegates.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee addressed APEC delegates.

APEC Energy Ministers’ Dinner

NCAPEC supported a private sector hosted dinner to welcome APEC Energy Ministers. The private sector voiced their support for the APEC Energy Ministerial themes of supporting a just energy transition, decarbonization of the power sector, advancing methane abatement policies and practices, and public-private partnerships.

The Seattle Host Committee flag raising ceremony to fly the United States’ APEC 2023 flag on the iconic Space Needle

Key APEC Seattle leaders raised the flag including (from left to right), Monica Whaley President of the National Center for APEC, Brian Surratt President and CEO of Greater Seattle Partners, Nora Todd, 2023 APEC Alternate Chair of the Senior Officials’ Meeting and Chief of Staff to the U.S. Trade Representative, Mike Pyle, Deputy National Security Advisor and 2023 Chair of the Senior Officials’ Meeting, Ambassador Matt Murray, U.S. Senior Official for APEC, Sam Cho, Commission President for the Port of Seattle, Dr. Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, and Christine Gregoire, former Washington governor from 2005-2013.

APEC Senior Official hoisted the APEC USA flag on the Seattle Space Needle during the third APEC Senior Officials Meeting cluster.

https://greater-seattle.com/2023/09/15/greater-seattle-welcomed-the-world-with-apec/

Seattle, USA. 15 Aug, 2023. Just after 6:00pm business leaders raise the APEC flag at the Seattle Space Needle. James Anderson/Alamy Live News

A visit to Blake Island, the Inaugural APEC Leaders’ Summit Location in 1993

The United States organized an evening cruise for APEC Senior Officials and delegates to see historic APEC Seattle sites. Attendees sailed by the Native American-style long house on Blake Island, a state park in the Puget Sound, and reflected on its significance as the site of the inaugural APEC Leaders’ Summit in 1993. APEC Secretariat Executive Director, Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria, and ABAC USA Member, Ginger Lew, are pictured near the Puget Sound.

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