On 23 May 2022, H.E. Mr. Thani Thongphakdi, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand, met with Mrs. Sarah Bianchi, Deputy United States Trade Representative (Deputy USTR), during her visit to Thailand on 21 – 23 May 2022 to attend the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) meeting in Bangkok.

Both sides discussed ways to further enhance cooperation within APEC, especially in promoting economic recovery and investment as well as enhancing connectivity and facilitating more travels in the post Covid-19 era, as more countries are reopening their borders and loosening travel restrictions. They also exchanged views on how to strengthen and advance cooperation on important issues, including the implementation of
Bio-Circular-Green Economy (BCG Economy), which is prioritized issue for Thailand’s APEC Host Year and aligns with the U.S. climate policy.
Both sides would continue working closely together in order to ensure a smooth and seamless transition to the U.S. APEC Host Year in 2023. Moreover, the Deputy USTR commended Thailand’s role as the current APEC Host. Both sides also emphasized the importance of building on the existing cooperation under the APEC framework to maximize benefits of both countries and all member economies.

The Deputy USTR welcomed the Prime Minister of Thailand’s virtual participation at the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) which was held in Tokyo on the same day. Both sides agreed that IPEF will contribute to further strengthening open and inclusive economic cooperation in the region.