US Sends Delegation to APEC Senior Officials' Meeting in Dalian, China to Advance America First Trade Policies
Casey Mace leads the US interagency team at SOM3 on August 17-28, focusing on agriculture, energy, fisheries, and supply chain innovation as Washington pursues expanded market access across the Asia-Pacific
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - The United States announced on Saturday that it is sending a delegation to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation third Senior Officials' Meeting and related meetings, known as SOM3, in Dalian, China, from August 17 to 28, to advance America First foreign, trade, and investment policies across the Asia-Pacific region.
US Senior Official for APEC Casey Mace is leading the US interagency participation at SOM3, where officials will focus on creating expanded opportunities for American businesses in sectors including agriculture, energy, transportation, fisheries, health, and food security, the State Department confirmed in a media note on Friday.
Through US-led events at the meetings, Washington will advance policies to reduce barriers to services exports, expand government partnerships that showcase US private sector innovations across supply chains, and lead discussions on trade and labor, the State Department said.
On the margins of the Oceans and Fisheries Working Group meeting, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Ocean, Fisheries, and Polar Affairs Ruth Perry is leading an Ocean Tech Solutions Workshop that pairs American innovation, including satellite monitoring technology, with shared APEC efforts to combat illegal fishing and marine debris, advancing responsible ocean economic development across the region.
The US participation in APEC SOM3 in Dalian is notable given the current state of US-China relations, which have been shaped by the broader regional conflict involving Iran, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and the Trump administration's tariff and trade policies. Washington sending a senior interagency delegation to a meeting on Chinese soil signals that despite geopolitical tensions across multiple fronts, the US intends to maintain its engagement in the Asia-Pacific multilateral economic framework as a vehicle for advancing American commercial and trade interests.
The State Department described US leadership in APEC as a key dimension of pursuing America First policies that foster prosperity and advance economic growth in the United States and across the region, by breaking down barriers for US businesses, boosting fair and reciprocal trade, and supporting American job growth.
APEC's 2026 host is China, with the full Leaders' Summit expected later in the year. The Dalian SOM3 meetings represent the third in a series of senior officials' gatherings building toward that summit, covering the broad range of working groups and ministerial processes that constitute the APEC agenda across the region's 21 member economies.