Deputy Under Secretary Farrell to Attend APEC SME Ministerial Meetings in Peru

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Contact: Office of Public Affairs
Email: publicaffairs@trade.gov
Phone: 202-482-3809

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Diane Farrell will travel to Lima and Pucallpa, Peru between September 12-17, 2024, to advance the Department of Commerce’s priorities at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) Ministerial Meeting and to open the APEC Business Ethics for SMEs Forum. During her visit, she will also hold bilateral meetings with APEC member economy counterparts and engage with U.S. industry operating in Peru.

In Pucallpa, Deputy Under Secretary Farrell will seek to build on priorities championed during the United States’ 2023 host year that advance interconnectivity, innovation and inclusivity among APEC member economies. She will participate in the APEC SME Ministerial Meeting, where she will focus on expanding SME access to cross-border e-commerce and value chains, strengthening their green transitions, and leveling the playing field for SMEs. She will also hold meetings with APEC member economy officials to advance and deepen both bilateral and multilateral collaboration around these priorities.

In Lima, the Deputy Under Secretary will open the APEC Business Ethics for SMEs Forum, which will focus on promoting business ethics and transparency in the healthcare sector across the APEC region. In particular, she will underscore the importance and value of companies adopting voluntary codes of ethics to reduce corruption and increase transparency in tendering processes. The forum will convene a wide range of stakeholders, including biopharmaceutical and medical device industry representatives, patient organizations, and healthcare professionals from both APEC and non-APEC economies.

Throughout her meetings with members of the U.S. business community to hear their views on challenges and opportunities of doing business in Peru, she will encourage engagement within APEC to explore opportunities to help APEC-member economies meet their digital, green transition, and economic growth objectives.

APEC is the premier platform for the United States to advance economic policies in the Asia-Pacific region to promote trade and investment and advance inclusive and sustainable growth. Businesses from APEC economies have invested over $1.7 trillion in the United States, employing 2.3 million American workers.

About the International Trade Administration
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