The workshop was designed to complement studies to support the final reviews of both Manufacturing-Related Services Action Plan (MSAP) and Environmental Services Action Plan (ESAP)and provide critical insights into how APEC could support more seamless trade in services vital to economic recovery and prosperity.

Through presentations, researchers described the progress achieved under ESAP and MSAP and shared results of studies relating to trade negotiations, service categorizations, domestic regulations, and capacity building measures. Distinguished expert speakers provided the audience with insights into ongoing initiatives within international organizations, existing cooperation between APEC economies, experiences of firms delivering relevant services, and trends regarding the scale and form of trade in these services.

The MSAP panel discussion was centered around efforts within APEC to foster collaboration on the delivery of manufacturing-related services. An underlying theme of the ESAP panel was how regulatory authorities in APEC economies could optimize domestic regulations, particularly licensing and approval measures, to create environments more conducive to trade.