Joint media release: Visit to Peru to attend APEC Ministerial Meeting

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong
Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator the Hon Don Farrell
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Hon Julie Collins MP

This week, Minister Collins will travel to Peru to represent Australia at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting, from 13 to 14 November.

At APEC, Minister Collins will champion Australia’s priorities of bolstering digital and services trade, promoting a move towards paperless trade, the economic empowerment of women and Indigenous Peoples, and advancing APEC’s work on environmentally sustainable economic development, including in agriculture.

Minister Collins will also meet with ministerial counterparts to progress Australia’s trade and investment agenda and emphasise our commitment to the rules-based multilateral trade system with the World Trade Organization at its core.

APEC is our region’s premier economic forum, bringing together 21 member economies that account for around 75 per cent of Australia's total trade in goods and services.

For over 30 years, APEC has been a vital force for promoting open and inclusive rules-based trade and practical, market-oriented regulatory reform in the region.

Australia's participation in APEC strengthens our economic relationships and supports new export opportunities. Trade diversification is a key plank of the Albanese Labor Government’s trade agenda.

Australia values its strong and growing relationship with Peru which is underpinned by the Peru-Australia Free Trade Agreement (PAFTA), likeminded approach to trade, growing people-to-people links and strong commercial engagement—particularly in the mining sector.