BANGKOK – United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai today met with Brunei Minister of Finance and Economy Dato Amin Liew Abdullah before the start of the APEC Ministerial Meeting. Ambassador Tai emphasized the United States’ commitment to the Indo-Pacific region through multiple channels, including the U.S. – ASEAN Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. Ambassador Tai also discussed the priority objectives for the U.S. APEC 2023 host year, which will focus on deepening APEC’s focus on sustainable and inclusive trade.
Ambassador Tai and Minister Abdullah also discussed the positive momentum for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) ahead of the Senior Officials meeting in Australia next month. Ambassador Tai also thanked Minister Abdullah for the constructive role Brunei played at the IPEF Ministerial in Los Angeles. She highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s support for advancing a worker-centric trade policy that benefits workers in the United States, as well as workers in our trade partner countries, and said she looks forward to a constructive dialogue on IPEF’s labor provisions in the months ahead.
Ambassador Tai and Minister Abdullah agreed to stay in touch on these and other issues going forward.
###
