The third round of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) negotiations will be held in Singapore from May 8-15, 2023. The Interagency U.S. delegation was be led by Sarah Ellerman, IPEF Pillar I Chief Negotiator and Assistant United States Trade Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific (Acting), and Sharon J. Yuan, Department of Commerce Counselor and Chief Negotiator for Pillars II-IV.
To facilitate private sector inputs in line with the upcoming negotiating round, US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC), American Association of Indo Pacific (AAIP), American Chamber of Commerce Singapore (AmCham Singapore), and Business Software Alliance (BSA) are jointly organizing an industry engagement in the format of a luncheon roundtable where U.S. and businesses can hear directly from the U.S. Ambassador and U.S. IPEF negotiators.
The sideline events and engagements surrounding the IPEF include the following:
On May 8: Group Strategy/Introductory Session and Meeting with Singapore IPEF Delegation - Jane Lim;
May 9: Bilateral Meeting with Australia IPEF Delegation - Andrew Martin, U.S. Private Sector Multi-lateral IPEF Digital Roundtable, and Dialogue with Congressional Staff Delegation from House Ways & Means and Senate Finance Committees;
May 11: Roundtable with U.S. Treasury on Digital Economy and Cross Border Data Flows, Singapore In-Person Stakeholder Listening Session, Roundtable with U.S. Lead Negotiator Sharon Yuan; Bilateral Meeting with Vietnam IPEF Delegation, and Bilateral Meeting with Thailand IPEF Delegation;
May 12: Roundtable with Leah Liston, Director of Customs and Trade Affairs at USTR.
The USABC continues to watch IPEF closely and sees IPEF as representing an effort to regain America's creditability in the eyes of trade partners in Asia. While IPEF may not immediately solve commercial challenges US companies face in the region, things, it should provide a signal on areas IPEF member governments plan to enhance economic cooperation. Moving forward, the focus may be put less on the contents of the texts and more geared toward developing ideas around projects, programs, and work plans in each pillar that will be important for the next phase of the IPEF.
