International

APEC 2023: Conversations Lead by Global CEOs, Presidents and Prime Ministers from Across the Asia-Pacific

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The APEC CEO Summit 2023 will welcome 1,000+ attendees and feature 30+ speakers including world leaders, global business executives, and thought leaders to discuss challenges and opportunities facing the world today. The Summit, which will take place November 14-16, 2023 at the Moscone Center West in San Francisco, will prioritize Creating Economic Opportunity for the people of the Asia-Pacific region.

This year marks 30 years since the inaugural APEC Leaders meeting in 1993, hosted by then U.S. President Bill Clinton in Seattle. The annual APEC CEO Summit was created shortly after to further prioritize public-private dialogue between APEC business and government leaders. 

The APEC CEO Summit 2023 will address issues that affect all communities in the region ranging from climate change and equitable growth, to global health, supply chains and the emergence of new groundbreaking technologies.

The APEC CEO Summit is the premier business forum for CEOs and senior executives of global/regional companies, and entrepreneurs of the Asia-Pacific region to discuss the issues facing the region and to build their networks and participate in influential meetings with the leaders of member economies. It is held in the APEC host economy just prior to the annual APEC Leaders’ Meeting. The APEC CEO Summit 2023 will take place in November 2023.

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional economic forum established in 1989 to leverage the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific. APEC’s 21 members aim to create greater prosperity for the people of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth and by accelerating economic integration in the region.

The 10th SelectUSA Investment Summit, Taking Place Next June in National Harbor, MD

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U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced today that registration is now open for SelectUSA’s 10thInvestment Summit to be held June 23 – 26, 2024, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.

The SelectUSA Investment Summit is the highest-profile event dedicated to promoting foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States, with a focus on the U.S. investment environment, industry trends, and creating business opportunities. Drawing more than 4,900 participants in 2023, the Investment Summit facilitates connections between investors, economic developers, and industry experts to seek opportunities available through U.S. investment. Attendees and speakers include senior government officials, C-Suite business executives, and industry leaders.

“This year we are excited to celebrate the 10th SelectUSA Investment Summit, marking a decade of work by the Commerce Department to provide a platform that encourages foreign direct investment and economic development across the country,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “For 11 years now, the United States has ranked as the top destination for global companies to invest and the SelectUSA Investment Summit has been critical to this success. As we implement President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, the Investment Summit is a key way we can continue to bolster foreign direct investment and new international business partnerships in the U.S.”

The 2024 SelectUSA Investment Summit will offer exciting opportunities for all attendees with programming that will include plenary and academy sessions on key topics in the Biden Administration’s Investing in America agenda, including advanced batteries, Internet for All and U.S. infrastructure, clean energy, critical minerals, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, and the CHIPS Act.  

Innovation and entrepreneurship will once again be at the forefront of the Investment Summit this year. The SelectUSA Tech program, which connects early-stage and startup technology companies to prospects for advancement in the U.S. market, will allow participants to exhibit their products and services at branded booths with the opportunity to upload a product and service demo video, apply to pitch in front of a panel of judges, participate in workshops and Investment Academy sessions, and other engagement opportunities.

The Select Global Women in Tech (SGWIT) Mentorship Network, geared towards international women founders, entrepreneurs, and executives in the technology sector, will see its fourth iteration of programming at the SelectUSA Investment Summit. SGWIT participants will be matched in sessions with an experienced mentor to help them develop a market entry strategy, tailor their product and promotion for success in the U.S. market, gain access to an exclusive networking platform, and hear from successful global founders.


About the SelectUSA Investment Summit
The SelectUSA Investment Summit brings together more than 4,900 participants, including EDO representation from over 50 U.S. states and territories, more than 2,300 business investors representing over 80 international markets, and industry experts providing insight and advice on how to successfully invest in the United States.

The SelectUSA Investment Summit has directly helped generate more than $98 billion in new U.S. investment projects, supporting over 81,000 jobs across the United States and its territories.


The U.S. Department of Commerce-led SelectUSA program promotes and facilitates business investment into the United States by coordinating related federal government agencies to serve as a single point of contact for investor companies. SelectUSA assists U.S. economic development organizations to compete globally for investment by providing information, a platform for international marketing, and high-level advocacy. SelectUSA also helps business investors find the information they need to make decisions, connect to the right people at the local level, navigate the federal regulatory system, and find solutions to issues related to the federal government.

U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo Releases 2023 National Export Strategy

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Today, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo released the 2023 National Export Strategy(NES). This report to Congress establishes U.S. trade promotion priorities and a coordinated, whole-of-government framework to better equip American companies and workers to compete in global markets and grow through international trade. The NES highlights government programs and resources to assist U.S. businesses – including small and medium enterprises (SMEs), historically underrepresented businesses, and those new to exporting – to overcome barriers to trade and sell their goods and services globally.

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s generational investments in U.S. industry, innovation, workforce training, and place-based economic development are setting the stage for inclusive economic growth and boosting U.S. competitiveness on the global stage,” said Secretary Raimondo. “We are releasing the 2023 National Export Strategy amidst these historic investments, which outlines how we align the full force of the federal government to help U.S. businesses and workers compete and win in international markets—including small businesses exporting for the first time.”

The 2023 NES was released during the Biden-Harris Administration’s inaugural meeting of the President’s Export Council (PEC), a body that serves as the principal national advisory committee on international trade. The PEC is comprised of more than two dozen leaders from the private sector, labor, and academia who provide recommendations to the President on policies and programs that affect U.S. trade performance.

The 2023 NES contains export promotion actions and activities to increase and enhance market opportunities in several sectors, including:

1. Climate and clean technologies
2. Manufacturing
3. Travel and tourism
4. International education
5. Global infrastructure development
6. Agriculture, fish and forestry
7. Seafood industries

The 2023 NES was developed by the Trade Promotion Coordination Committee (TPCC), an interagency body established to provide a unifying framework to coordinate the export promotion and export financing activities of the U.S. government. The TPCC Secretariat is housed within the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration.

U.S.-UK Joint Statement on the U.S-UK Data Bridge

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Washington D.C., June 9 – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology the Rt Hon Chloe Smith MP issued a joint statement yesterday on the announcement that both countries have committed in principle to establish a data bridge.

“Today, President Joseph R. Biden and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that they have committed in principle to establish a data bridge allowing for the free flow of data between organizations in the United Kingdom and participating organizations in the United States.

“This announcement represents the UK’s intent to establish a data bridge for the UK Extension to the U.S.-EU Data Privacy Framework, subject to the UK’s data bridge assessment and further technical work being finalized, and dependent on the U.S. designation of the UK as a qualifying state under Executive Order 14086.

“Today’s announcement also reflects two years of progress and is a key step towards realizing both countries’ mutual ambition to establish a data bridge that would restore a robust and reliable mechanism for U.S.-UK data flows. 

“A U.S.-UK data bridge would uphold the rights of data subjects, facilitate responsible innovation, and provide individuals in both countries greater access to the services that suit them, whilst reducing the burdens on businesses and delivering better outcomes for people.

“We expect that the establishment of the data bridge will also further facilitate transfers to U.S. organizations that rely on other data transfer mechanisms under UK law.

“Reaching this significant milestone builds on the goal set at the inaugural meeting of the U.S.-UK Comprehensive Dialogue on Technology and Data, in January, to finalize a data bridge for U.S.-UK data flows in 2023 and is reflective of the importance of international collaboration to meet the global challenges and opportunities on data.

“We will continue working together to facilitate trusted cross-border data flows, including on multilateral initiatives, such as the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules Forum, and through international fora, such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).”

APEC CEO Summit USA 2023 To Convene World Leaders and Business Executives to Discuss Creating Economic Opportunity

AICC APEC, Asia, Business, Economic, Home, Innovation, International, Investment, News, Pacific, USA

The APEC CEO Summit USA 2023 will feature 30+ speakers from the public and private sectors, representing various industries, emerging voices, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and world leaders from large and small economies. Speakers include senior executives from General Motors, Organon, Visa, Amazon, Boeing, Citi, Google, ExxonMobil, FedEx, Johnson & Johnson, Mastercard, Merck, Meta, Microsoft, Moody’s, Qualcomm, Uber, and UPS.

The United States will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit convening more than 1,000 business executives and welcoming key world leaders from across the Asia-Pacific at the Moscone Center in San Francisco from November 15-16, 2023.

“As hosts of this year’s APEC CEO Summit, the U.S. will shape the agenda to prioritize the region’s most critical issues and work toward solutions to create a more inclusive and resilient Asia-Pacific,” said Monica Hardy Whaley, President of the National Center for APEC (NCAPEC), which is organizing the APEC CEO Summit USA 2023. “The world faces many challenges, and the business community is part of the solution. We have the leadership, ideas, and resources to help address key issues ranging from climate change and equitable growth, technology and digitization, to global health and supply chains.”

Under the theme “Creating Economic Opportunity” the APEC CEO Summit USA 2023 will focus on four driving topic areas:

  • Sustainability: Actionable climate-conscious solutions, and circular economy, biodiversity and resource efficiency
  • Inclusion: Stronger voices for small businesses, workers, and underrepresented communities
  • Resilience: Disaster readiness, strengthening supply chains, and preparing APEC economies for future challenges
  • Innovation: Technology, global healthcare, new ideas, and digital transformation across the region

Further details on the event and program agenda, including additional speakers, will be announced in the coming months.

Alongside APEC Leaders’ Week meetings and the Sustainable Future Forum taking place on the week of November 12-18, the APEC CEO Summit will reaffirm the importance of public-private dialogue in promoting global economic development.

APEC is the premier forum for public and private sector engagement on trade and economic opportunity in the fastest growing region in the world. The forum brings together 21 members, and offers a pathway to participation for large and small economies. This structure enables the APEC CEO Summit to meet the moment and create equitable opportunity for the wide range of workers, businesses, communities, and families throughout the region.

USPTO and WIPO agree to partner on dispute resolution efforts related to standard essential patents

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WASHINGTON — The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) today agreed to undertake joint efforts to facilitate the resolution of disputes related to standard essential patents.

Standard essential patents, or SEPs, are patents that have been declared essential to a given technical standard. As part of the standards-setting process, patent owners may agree to license SEPs on fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory (FRAND) terms. Standards touch all aspects of modern life and include video compression, wireless communication technologies, computer connection standards, automotive technology, and more.

“International standards, and the role of patents that are essential to them, play an important role in promoting a strong national and global economy,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director Kathi Vidal. “The USPTO is grateful that Director General Tang recognized the USPTO’s leadership role in advancing discussions on standard essential patent policies. Our work with WIPO underscores the USPTO’s view that SEP policy is an international issue of international importance. This agreement will leverage existing resources at both the USPTO and WIPO, supporting options to enhance the efficiency of licensing of standard essential patents, and promote resolution of disputes related to those standards.”

The signing of the memorandum of understanding occurred during a meeting this week between Director Vidal and WIPO Director General Daren Tang on the sidelines of WIPO’s General Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

Under the terms of the agreement, the USPTO and WIPO will:

  • Cooperate on activities that will lend efficiency and effectiveness to the resolution of disputed standard essential patent matters by leveraging existing WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center and USPTO resources, and
  • Engage in stakeholder outreach to raise awareness of the services provided by the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center through joint USPTO-WIPO programs.

The agreement will continue in operation for five years from the date of signing.

“We appreciate all the work Director General Tang and WIPO have done in this critical area. We look forward to a successful collaboration and engaging stakeholders to ensure we shape dispute resolution that will facilitate participation and implementation of standards by all innovators including small to medium-sized enterprises,” remarked Director Vidal.

“Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) has time and again demonstrated its value in the efficient and timely resolution of commercial disputes. In the last few years, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center has been facilitating the resolution of SEP-related disputes and the new collaboration with the USPTO is an exciting development which will contribute to improving the efficiency of standard implementation,” noted Director General Tang.

Gina Raimondo Meeting with Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hagiuda Koichi

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Today, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hagiuda Koichi held an introductory meeting via teleconference.

The Secretary congratulated the Minister on his recent reappointment by the Prime Minister. The Secretary and Minister discussed opportunities to grow the U.S.-Japan commercial relationship. They also discussed collaborative efforts to improve supply chain resilience and cooperation on digital technology. The Secretary also thanked the Minister for his efforts to encourage continued Japanese investment in the United States and for the strong participation from Japanese investors at the SelectUSA Investment Summit.

USTDA Announces New Commitments at 2021 Indo-Pacific Business Forum

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Arlington, VA – Today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency announced a series of new commitments and initiatives at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum (IPBF) that will deepen economic ties between the United States and the Indo-Pacific region.

“For nearly 30 years, USTDA has been the partner of choice for the Indo-Pacific region’s infrastructure development, especially in the areas that are the focus of this year’s Indo-Pacific Business Forum, including climate resilience, energy, digital economy and healthcare infrastructure,” said Ambassador Vinai Thummalapally (ret.), USTDA’s Acting Director. “Hosting the Forum highlights our commitment to building lasting partnerships with this vital part of the world.”

During the IPBF, USTDA announced new funding commitments, including a feasibility study to develop four utility-scale solar generation plants with the Philippines’ Rural Electrification Finance Corporation and technical assistance to help Vietnam’s Ecotek Corporation transform its Ecopark Township into a cutting-edge smart and sustainable city.

In addition to these commitments, USTDA announced a call for aviation proposals to support new aviation infrastructure in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. Interested U.S. firms as well as Southeast Asian and Pacific Island aviation stakeholders are encouraged to submit initial proposals for feasibility studies, technical assistance and pilot projects to develop airport, airspace, airline and other aviation infrastructure to USTDA by January 10, 2022.

The USTDA-sponsored IPBF is co-hosted by the U.S. and Indian governments, in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. India Business Council, U.S. India Strategic Partnership Forum, AMCHAM India, and the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council.

Gina Raimondo Meeting with with Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade of Finland Ville Skinnari

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Today, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo met with Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade of Finland Ville Skinnari to discuss how best to utilize the goals and objectives set during the 1stU.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council ministerial to reinforce and strengthen bilateral and multilateral efforts. The Secretary also expressed appreciation on behalf of the Department of Commerce for Finland’s cooperation on efforts pertaining to important technologies, including 5G. The Secretary and Minister also discussed other topics important to the U.S.-Finland commercial relationship, including technology supply chains.