Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Marisa Lago concluded her trip to Phuket and Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday, where she traveled to strengthen commercial relations with Thailand and across the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies, to advocate on behalf of U.S. businesses and workers, and to underscore the U.S. government’s continued commitment to advancing prosperity, peace and stability in the region.
Under Secretary Lago led the United States delegation to the APEC Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Ministerial Meeting in Phuket on Sept. 9–10. At the ministerial, Under Secretary Lago discussed the importance of strengthening the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises, including by adopting sustainable business models, adhering to high-standard ethical business practices, and embracing digital transformation—areas of focus also reflected in the Chair’s statement. Under Secretary Lago also previewed priorities for APEC’s next annual meeting, which the United States will host in 2023.
In Bangkok on Sept. 12, Under Secretary Lago provided keynote remarks at the 2022 APEC Business Ethics for SMEs Forum. The forum was organized by the U.S. Department of Commerce and is the world’s largest public-private collective action effort to strengthen ethical business practices in the health sector. During her time in Bangkok, Under Secretary Lago also held meetings with Thai officials, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Supattanapong Punmeechaow and Chairman of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, Dr. Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck, to discuss strengthening bilateral commercial and economic ties. The Under Secretary likewise participated in events with the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand, the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council, Thai women leaders, and local labor union representatives.
During her time in Bangkok, Under Secretary Lago was met with great enthusiasm from public officials and private sector leaders alike for the U.S. Department of Commerce bringing Trade Winds—the largest U.S. government-led trade mission and business development forum—to Bangkok on March 12–14, 2023. For more information, please visit https://www.trade.gov/trade-winds.
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