Today, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Arun Venkataraman began a 3-day visit in Singapore to strengthen trade ties and public/private sector collaboration with the United States.
Over the course of his visit, he will highlight the success of the U.S.-Singapore Partnership for Growth and Innovation (PGI) in his engagements with U.S. and Singaporean trade leaders, to include Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry Deputy Secretary Jane Lim, Ministry of Communications and Information Deputy Secretary Aaron Maniam, and members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore and the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council. He will also discuss ongoing progress on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), which held its first in-person Ministerial meeting earlier this month.
“Many U.S. companies view Singapore as a lucrative market for doing business and an important trade gateway into Southeast Asia,” said Venkataraman. “Nearly 20 years ago, history was made when the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement was signed—the first of its kind for Asia. Through the PGI and IPEF, the United States has another opportunity to make history with Singapore and other Southeast Asian nations by driving trade and investment that will benefit workers and consumers on both sides of the Pacific. I thank my Singapore counterparts and private sector partners for their enthusiasm in continuing our important bilateral dialogue.”
Venkataraman will remain in Southeast Asia through next week as he will lead a delegation of 12 companies to Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam as part of the U.S. Healthcare Trade Mission.
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