APEC Trade Ministers Issue Joint Statement

APEC trade ministers from the 21 member economies issued a joint statement upon conclusion of their meeting in Suzhou on 22–23 May.

The statement reflects the outcomes of the 2026 APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting chaired by China’s Minister of Commerce, Wang Wentao.

In the statement, ministers reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region in a manner that is market-driven, including through the work on the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) agenda.

Read the 2026 APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Joint Statement.

Ministers also acknowledged that the agreed upon rules in the WTO are key to facilitating global trade and recognized that the WTO has challenges, and needs meaningful reform to improve all of its functions and to be more relevant to responsive to the interest of its members.

They also reaffirmed their commitment to growing the digital economy and to ensuring that the benefits of digital transformation are accessible to all. They also recognized the increasing importance of data to the digital economy and will continue their cooperation to facilitate the flow of data across borders.