2023/11/03   

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, is the leading economic forum for the 21 Member Economies of the Asia-Pacific region, facilitating trade and investment, economic growth, and regional cooperation. In 2023, the United States is chairing APEC. San Francisco will be the Host City for the AELW in November. APEC meetings throughout this year have focused on regional economic issues, including sustainability, digitalization, women’s economic empowerment, trade facilitation, energy security, food security, and health. In concluding APEC 2023, the AELW will bring 21 APEC Economic Leaders, ministers, the private sector, and other stakeholders together to engage on global challenges. U.S. APEC 2023 will be the most significant event with world leaders in San Francisco in recent history.

What is APEC & the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week (AELW)?

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, is the leading economic forum for the 21 Member Economies of the Asia-Pacific region, facilitating trade and investment, economic growth, and regional cooperation. In 2023, the United States is chairing APEC. San Francisco will be the Host City for the AELW in November. APEC meetings throughout this year have focused on regional economic issues, including sustainability, digitalization, women’s economic empowerment, trade facilitation, energy security, food security, and health. In concluding APEC 2023, the AELW will bring 21 APEC Economic Leaders, ministers, the private sector, and other stakeholders together to engage on global challenges. U.S. APEC 2023 will be the most significant event with world leaders in San Francisco in recent history.

When is the 2023 APEC Economic Leaders’ Week (AELW)?

November 11 - 17, 2023.

How large will the event be?

21 APEC Economic Leaders—including President Biden—will join approximately 1,200 global CEOs, 600 from media and nearly 30,000 delegates to participate in person representing guests, businesses, organizations, and workers from across the 21 Member Economies.

What is the APEC CEO Summit?

The CEO Summit is an integral element of the AELW. It will bring CEOs, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and other stakeholders together with Economic Leaders from the Asia-Pacific region for two days of business dialogue on global opportunities and challenges that are shaping economic, environmental, and societal trends in the region. The CEO Summit will focus on “Creating Economic Opportunity” and feature a lineup of dynamic and diverse speakers who will highlight sustainability, inclusion, resilience, and innovation. The accompanying CEO Summit exhibition will showcase pioneering solutions and technologies that can help drive equitable growth. The CEO Summit will take place from November 14-16. More info on the APEC CEO Summit can be found at apecceosummit2023.com.

What are the priorities for APEC 2023?

Interconnected / Innovative / Inclusive

Why San Francisco?

● San Francisco represents a story of resilience, innovation, and inclusivity, the core themes of APEC this year.

● With a GDP of 501 billion dollars, the San Francisco metropolitan area is the fourth largest economic region in the U.S. and an important hub in the global economy.

● We conduct a lot of business with APEC economies:

○ The SF Customs District logs 100 billion dollars from two-way shipping with APEC members annually.

○ Northern California firms sell up to 60 billion dollars of goods and services to APEC buyers each year.

○ The region is a source and destination for massive investment flows.

● We are a global city with many diverse and deep connections with APEC economies:

○ Asian Americans represent 33 percent of San Francisco’s total population.

○ San Francisco is a Sister City with Osaka, Seoul, Ho Chi Minh, Manila, Sydney, and Shanghai.

○ San Francisco’s Chinatown is the first and oldest in North America and one of the largest Chinese communities outside of Asia.

○ San Francisco currently hosts over 70 consulates, representing the government interests of virtually all major countries around the world, including 15 consulates of the 21 APEC Member Economies.

○ Many trade commissions have established offices in and around the City.

○ The San Francisco Bay Area is home to some of the biggest Fortune 500 companies in the world (Tesla, Uber, Salesforce, Pixar, Netflix, Lucas Films, Levi Strauss, and some of the most innovative and forward-thinking industries (AI, biotech, software, clean tech, social media).

● SF is uniquely positioned on the edge of the Pacific and at the entrance to Silicon Valley. And, California has long been an economic and cultural bridge between the United States and Asia.

● San Francisco has spent generations building face-to-face, personal, unwavering business connections with the people of the APEC region. Those bonds, those roots, are strong and run deep.

○ San Francisco has a number of commercial service partners supporting export to and investment from the Asia-Pacific region including:

■ The Bay Area Council, a valued forum for stakeholder engagement and a respected source of information and fact-based analysis, the Institute is a trusted partner and adviser to both business leaders and government officials.

■ The Asia Foundation, founded and headquartered in SF, is a nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives and expanding opportunities across Asia and the Pacific.

■ The Asian Business League, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of Asian Pacific American leadership in business. The League also provides opportunities to address issues Asian American professionals and Asian American-owned businesses face.