—recently held in Detroit, United States—, the 21 economies present at said event discussed issues, such as the relationship between trade and workers, support for SMEs, and the multilateral trading system.
"Peru is working to complement the internal procedures so that the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies is ratified. We are convinced of the importance of continuing discussions on issues like this and agriculture," Minister Juan Carlos Mathews said at the first APEC session.
Similarly, the Cabinet member indicated that the
World Trade Organization (WTO) has as advantage its objective of promoting dialogue and facilitating discussions on current trade issues.
However, it is urgent to explore new negotiating approaches and generate a commitment to move forward on a basis that is multilateral and made up of joint initiatives.
The Mincetur head thanked APEC economies for their support for Peru's initiative, led by the ministry, which proposes a new approach to the Asia-Pacific Free Trade Area, so that actions on the preparation work schedule become updated in 2024.
Furthermore, the Cabinet member invited his APEC peers to the next Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting, which will take place in Peru next year.
As is known, the APEC is made up of Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Korea, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United States, and Vietnam.
Promotion of programs for women and SMEs
During the second session of the
APEC's MRT Meeting, focused on promoting sustainable and inclusive trade,
Minister Mathews mentioned that Peru is implementing initiatives to strengthen capacities and integrate women into international trade. One of them is
"Ella Exporta" (She Exports) Program by PromPerú, which has already benefited more than 100 female entrepreneurs nationwide.
"Peru recognizes the important role that women play in different areas of the economy and, particularly, their contributions to the production and foreign trade sectors. We believe that the participation and leadership of women play a vital role in economic growth and national well-being," he said during his speech.
Along these lines, the Cabinet member added that APEC members should continue promoting initiatives related to the empowerment of women through trade.
During the special session on support for SMEs,
Minister Mathews highlighted the importance of these as engines of growth and innovation across the APEC region, given their significant contribution to GDP in most economies.
Moreover, he highlighted the need to improve their access to digital economy, invest in infrastructure, and introduce innovation for their financing.