Deputy PM Pushes FTA and Digital Trade Deal at APEC Meeting
Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supamas Isararak attended the 2026 APEC Ministerial Meeting virtually, advocating for Free Trade Agreements and the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) to address new global trade rules. She emphasized Thailand's commitment to an open, rules-based trading system and highlighted efforts to boost SME competitiveness through innovative financing tools showcased at the recent IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok.
Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supamas Isararak revealed that on November 3, 2026, she attended the 2026 APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM) via video conference, a joint session of APEC foreign and trade ministers ahead of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting hosted by China in Shenzhen on November 18-19. The meeting discussed ways to elevate APEC's operations for mutual benefit, address global economic crises, and advance Asia-Pacific economic integration through new trade issues under China's theme "Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together."
Supamas stated that as Thailand's Commerce Minister, she spoke in the session "Promoting Economic Integration for New Regional Growth," supporting Thailand's economic advancement with key partners through tools such as Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and new trade rules. She highlighted Thailand's role in pushing for the successful conclusion of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) and supporting an open, inclusive, rules-based multilateral trading system.
She also emphasized strengthening the competitiveness of SMEs and local economies by promoting the use of FTA benefits for global value chain participation. She cited Thailand's success hosting the 2026 IMF-World Bank Group Annual Meetings in Bangkok last October, where Thailand stressed helping SMEs access more funding through new tools like IP Financing and Supply Chain Financing.
The APEC economic cooperation framework comprises 21 member economies: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United States, and Vietnam. In 2025, Thailand's trade with APEC economies totaled $494.646 billion, accounting for 72.24% of Thailand's total trade, with exports to APEC at $237.582 billion and imports from APEC at $257.064 billion.
