Over 96 percent of the world’s manufacturing supply chains—from automotive to aircraft, from electronics to agriculture, from apparel to medical supplies—depend on access to innovative and effective chemical input. Chemistry is vital to the creation of groundbreaking products that make our lives and planet healthier, safer and more sustainable. Trade acts as the conduit that enables the innovative products of chemistry to reach the economies and businesses that need them most.
In the 2000 APEC Ministerial Meeting in Brunei Darussalam, ministers welcomed an initiative to establish the Chemical Dialogue (CD), comprising of government and industry representatives to foster cooperation and take actions to help member economies achieve high standards of protection for human health and safety and the environment, foster greater innovation, and prevent barriers to trade.
The CD serves as a forum for regulatory and trade officials and industry representatives to find solutions to challenges facing the chemical industry in the Asia-Pacific region. It reflects APEC members' recognition of the importance of both engaging with the private sector and building public-private dialogue and sustained cooperation for the benefit of both sectors.
The CD focuses on chemical-sector trade liberalization and facilitation by improving trade and regulatory policies and practices. It seeks workable programs which ensure that regulatory, safety and environmental goals can be implemented by both governments and businesses.
The CD’s primary goals are articulated in its strategic framework, which was initially endorsed by APEC Ministers in 2011.
The APEC Chemical Dialogue: Strategic Framework for Chemicals in the Asia-Pacific Region 2024-2027 is organized around the following three revised shared goals:
- To facilitate trade and raise the standard of sound management of chemicals by expanding and supporting regulatory cooperation and regulatory alignment in the region.
- To promote understanding of the chemical industry’s role as a provider of innovative solutions for sustainable economic, environmental and social development.
- To enable effective cooperation between industry and governments to improve chemical product stewardship and safe use.
The CD has maintained a focus on regulatory cooperation and the application of good regulatory practices throughout its tenure, developing in 2008 a set of Principles for Best Practice in Chemical Regulation and subsequently in 2016 a Best Practice Principles Checklist for Chemicals Regulation to help economies apply those principles during the regulatory review and rule-making process. In 2020, the CD endorsed the APEC CD Regulatory Cooperation Report to identify, share, and capture best practices and actionable approaches for APEC chemical regulators seeking to engage in regulatory cooperation with trade partners.
Last page update: September 2025
Contacts
Government Co-Chair of Chemical Dialogue
Industrial Co-Chair of Chemical Dialogue
Chilean Association of Chemical Industries
Asiquim A.G.
Program Director
Current Activities
Last meeting
In 2025, Chemical Dialogue held 2 plenary meetings in Korea on the margins of the First and the Third Senior Officials’ Meetings (SOM1 and SOM3).
- The 34th Chemical Dialogue took place on 26 February 2025
- The 35th Chemical Dialogue took place on 6 August 2025
In the meetings, CD members from both industry and government actively participated, continuing the Chemical Dialogue’s commitments as a unique mechanism to proactively advance initiatives that benefit all stakeholders in and around the chemical industry. Discussions were about regulatory operation, GHS implementation, and sustainability with an aim to advance CD objectives. CD members provided regulatory updates, including both individual and collective actions. Four Virtual Working Groups (VWGs) on Regulatory Cooperation and Convergence, GHS, Data exchange and Marine Debris also updates their recent activities. New project proposals were introduced and received support from members.
Activities and events in 2024
- “Capacity Building on Effective Management of Confidential Business Information (CBI) During Inwards Customs Clearance” (CD 202 2024A) was held on 25 February 2025 in Gyeongju, Korea. The workshop supported the capacity building of customs officials by organizing an in-person workshop with the customs authorities and industry to build the capacity and capability on the relevant knowledge for CBIs. This is necessary to help resolve potential non-tariff trade barriers to trade in the region, accelerating trade liberalization and facilitation efforts, and enhancing regional connectivity.
- “APEC Chemical Dialogue Workshop: Building Supply Chain Resilience in the APEC Chemical Sector” (CD 201 2025A) was organized on 5 August 2024 in Incheon, Korea. The objective of this workshop is to promote knowledge sharing and raise awareness within APEC member economies on domestic, regional, and multilateral initiatives focused on supply chain issues that may affect chemicals. In addition, this workshop will identify best practices and principles that strengthen chemical supply chains and their contributions to the manufacturing and services industries.
- “APEC Chemical Dialogue Workshop: Latest Plastic Recycling Technologies and their Policy Applications” (CD 203 2025A) was held on 4 August 2025 in Chinese Taipei. The objective of the workshop is to focus on technical topics aimed at reducing plastic waste generation rather than just managing it, including the latest recycling technologies, best practices and effective plans. Additionally, the workshop aims to promote knowledge sharing and raise awareness within APEC member economies on domestic, regional, and multilateral initiatives focused on supply chain issues that may affect chemicals.