The Philippines’ representative Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual expressed his support for US Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Katherine Tai’s statement on the outcomes of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting on May 25-26 at Detroit, Michigan.
Ambassador Tai listed the outcomes of the meeting as follows: importance of upholding and strengthening the rules-based multilateral trading system; encouragement of the promotion of trade and investment in products that will lead to a more positive environmental outcome; and the role of digital technology and innovation in advancing the growth of economies including the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Secretary Pascual emphasized, “International trade is a strong force that can accelerate the achievement of sustainability goals and promote inclusiveness in line with building a more interconnected, innovative, and inclusive APEC region.”
He also shared in his dialogue with the USTR Tai, the Philippines’ commitment to continue working on overcoming shared challenges related to food security, supply chain disruptions, climate change, and the impacts of the global pandemic.
The Philippine delegation includes DTI Assistant Secretary Allan Gepty, Board of Investments (BOI) Executive Director Corazon Halili, DTI-Bureau of International Trade Relations (BITR) Assistant Director Sherylyn Aquia. They were also joined by Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Carlos Sorreta, and Director Arnel Sanchez.
