Seattle, Washington will host the third Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Senior Officials’ and Ministerial Meetings, as well as the Women and the Economy Forum, during the United States’ APEC hosting year in 2023.
“Seattle has a long and proud history of partnership with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as a diverse and thriving community of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who call our city home. As the host city for the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, we are thrilled to further collaboration, as stated by Seattle’s mayor, Bruce Harrell. “Thirty years ago, Seattle assisted the United States in hosting the first APEC summit, and while much has changed on a global scale, our commitment to inclusion and innovation has not. I am thrilled to welcome world leaders back to Seattle and foster connections to promote opportunity, good jobs, and a more sustainable future locally and internationally.”
View the video containing Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, Governor Jay Inslee, and Mayor Bruce Harrell.
Washington State and Seattle have always been central to U.S. engagement with the Asia-Pacific region and play a significant role in U.S. foreign policy. On Blake Island in Puget Sound, the United States hosted the first APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in 1993. Seattle will be a prime location for the policy priorities we hope to advance during our APEC 2023 hosting year: creating a resilient and sustainable future for all and constructing a connected, innovative, and inclusive Asia-Pacific region.
“Washington state is ecstatic to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum next year as we look to the future of one of the world’s most vital and significant economic relationships,” said Governor Jay Inslee. “Washington state and the APEC nations are linked by cultural and business ties, as well as the tens of billions of dollars of trade that pass through our ports. This relationship is fundamental not only to our economic future, but also to our ability to meet our commitments to climate progress and equity. We look forward to collaborating with the Biden-Harris administration and the City of Seattle to showcase Washington state and the United States’ finest attributes.”
The metropolitan region of Seattle is a significant exporter of manufactured goods, agricultural products, and advanced technologies and services to the Asia-Pacific region. Washington’s exports to the APEC region amounted to $50.2 billion in 2018. Moreover, the top five export and import markets for the state are all APEC members. The National Center for APEC, whose mission is to advance business sector interests in APEC, is also located in Seattle.
Seattle’s hosting of an APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting in 2023 will demonstrate U.S. economic leadership, particularly in the area of economic inclusion, given the region’s vast, diverse, and vibrant Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander population.
Please contact the U.S. APEC Team at DOSAPEC@state.gov for more information.