Official White House Visit and APEC CEO Summit top AmCham engagement in the US this month

AmCham returned to the United States for our third visit in three months for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Meeting and CEO Summit, following the Official State Visit and the Innovation Trade Mission and Study Tour.

AmCham's in-person engagement with the United States is back to its record-setting pace. So too is the diplomatic engagement. "I stand here in Washington," said Prime Minister Albanese at the State Luncheon, "as the leader of America's steadfast ally." This past month has been about advancing both the economic and strategic relationship. AUKUS, unsurprisingly, has been high on the agenda, but not alone. Another task alongside this herculean project is cooperating on clean energy and navigating the historic Inflation Reduction Act to our nations' mutual benefit.

Beyond the bilateral, Australia's engagement with APEC - whose 21 members account for 75% of Australia's trade and over half the global economy - is crucial. One in four Australian jobs is dependent on trade, and during the Summit, Prime Minister Albanese affirmed the need for responsible reform to the dispute settlement mechanisms within the WTO, to ensure international rules and norms of international trade "can be applied in the interests of all."

President Biden characterised the US-Australia alliance as one marked by "imagination, ingenuity, and innovation." In AmCham's engagement with the United States, senior leaders have complemented this description as indispensable, unbreakable, and essential.

Australia's minilateral and multilateral engagement continues to expand. APEC and AUKUS are joined by the Pacific Islands Forum, ASEAN, the G20, the Quad, and NATO IP4 among others. Many of these involve cooperation with the United States. AmCham's upcoming trade mission to Japan is one example of the multi-faceted and expanding US-Australia alliance.