U. S. Chamber to Carry Free Trade Message to APEC

WASHINGTON, D.C. – United States Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas Donohue will attend the annual meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Santiago, Chile November 18-21 for meetings with heads of state, U.S. government officials and regional business leaders.

APEC is comprised of 21 economies that together account for 47 percent of global trade and 2.5 billion consumers. In addition to talks with the leaders of Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia and others, Donohue will lead a discussion on Free Trade Agreements that features a presentation by Chilean President Ricardo Lagos.

"This is one of the most important annual summits of global leaders, and one of the few where the focus is almost entirely on expanding trade and economic growth," Donohue noted.

"The Chamber will carry a clear message to Asia-Pacific leaders," he continued. "We seek markets that are more open to American products, services and investments. This can be achieved by completing Free Trade Agreements as well as the critically important Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations.

"We also need stronger protections for intellectual property and a genuine commitment to rooting out corruption and counterfeiting. The region must work harder to ease the flow of goods and commerce across borders with customs and market-entry procedures that are clear, fair and transparent.

"Finally, America must lead by example. We must continue to reject misguided protectionist responses to outsourcing. We must do a better job balancing mobility and security through effective policies that are more welcoming to foreign visitors. And early next year, Congress should swiftly renew presidential Trade Promotion Authority, pass the Central American Free Trade Agreement, and resoundingly reject any effort to pull the United States out of the World Trade Organization," Donohue concluded.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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