The Dominican Republic Hosts First In-Person Meeting of the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Senior Officials for Trade
SANTO DOMINGO – Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Western Hemisphere Daniel Watson joined the Senior Officials for Trade of the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (“Americas Partnership”) in its first formal meeting, which took place February 12-13 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Convening as the Council on Trade and Competitiveness (CTC), they began establishing committees and working groups to advance the implementation of trade-related elements of the cross-cutting priorities identified by Leaders in the East Room Declaration in November 2023.
At this meeting, the CTC established committees on Trade Rules and Transparency (CTRT), Trade and Sustainable Value and Supply Chains, and Inclusive Trade and SMEs. The CTC also considered proposals for a workplan under the CTRT, focused on activities to implement and build upon the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement, as well as activities focused specifically on the digitalization of import documents.
Recognizing the importance of bringing a broad range of voices into the work of the Americas Partnership, Senior Officials also began sharing views on how to optimize inclusive outreach in the region.
The CTC intends to meet regularly, including in person at least twice annually, and will continue developing projects to realize the Americas Partnership’s goals of deeper economic integration, and sustainable and inclusive trade and investment. In that regard, the United States underscored the importance of looking ahead to future work to implement the values expressed in the East Room Declaration, including with respect to promoting labor rights and protecting the environment.
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