USCIB Advances US Business Priorities at APEC Meetings in China
USCIB APEC team: Ashley Harrington, Natalie Bidner-Swehla, and Michael Rousek,
USCIB participated in the 2026 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Third Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM3), advocating for US business interests related to customs and labor provisions in trade agreements, global health, and food security and resilient agricultural systems.
USCIB’s Michael Rousek, VP, Customs and Trade Facilitation, Natalie Bidner-Swehla, Director, International Agriculture, and Ashley Harrington, Manager, Health and Sustainability, were on site in Dalian, China, for respective meetings August 17-27.
Rousek spoke at this year’s APEC Customs Business Dialogue (ACBD) on the role of technology and innovation in shaping customs processes and practices across the Asia-Pacific region. He reflected USCIB member views on the need for technology co-development with the private sector, embedding transparency and fairness into AI systems, and prioritizing trusted data-sharing frameworks to ensure secure and responsible use of confidential business information.
He also spoke at the inaugural Dialogue on Trade and Labor, alongside Leah Liston, Director for Customs at the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), and international organization partners. Rousek’s points focused on how international frameworks, technical assistance, and stakeholder engagement can support the development and implementation of labor provisions in trade agreements.
“USCIB members support high labor standards globally, including via our trade agreements, and support cooperation between APEC partners to provide crucial in-country technical assistance,” said Rousek.
Finally, Rousek participated in the 18th Meeting of the APEC Alliance for Supply Chain Connectivity (A2C2), sharing thoughts and impressions from the Mexico City A2C2 meeting he attended earlier this year and discussing customs’ digitalization trends in the region.
Bidner-Swehla exchanged perspectives with government and private-sector representatives during the Fourth APEC Seminar on Digitalization and Innovation in Food Supply Chains, where discussions focused on how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and digital traceability tools, can modernize food supply chains and strengthen food security. Participants explored innovations across the food value chain, from production and manufacturing to processing, packaging, logistics, and trade, with a focus on improving efficiency, transparency, resilience, and sustainability.
Bidner-Swehla engaged with government leaders and private sector representatives to discuss opportunities for collaboration in addressing food security challenges during the APEC High Level Public-Private Dialogue on Food Security. The discussion focused on the role of innovation, investment, trade, and public-private engagement in supporting resilient food systems. Participants emphasized that sustainable progress will require cooperation across sectors and policies that encourage investment, innovation, and the movement of food and agricultural goods across markets.
Bidner-Swehla also participated in the APEC Policy Partnership on Food Security (PPFS) Plenary Meeting, where economies, international organizations, and private-sector representatives reviewed key priorities for strengthening food security throughout the region. Conversations focused on resilience, innovation, sustainability, and implementation of APEC’s Food Security Roadmap Towards 2030. Participants explored ways to enhance cooperation across economies and ensure that policy discussions are informed by practical experience from stakeholders throughout the food and agriculture value chain.
Restoring USCIB’s health workstream at APEC, Harrington covered a series of global health policy meetings vis-à-vis APEC’s Health Working Group (HWG) Plenary Meeting, the Second APEC Healthy Aging Policy Dialogue, and a workshop on promoting healthy aging through brain health and digital opportunities, among others. Throughout SOM3, she engaged with colleagues and delegates from across the Asia Pacific region on some of the most pressing health challenges and opportunities facing member economies, such as the growing importance of healthy aging, digital health and AI governance, mental health, obesity prevention, and stronger pandemic preparedness.
At the HWG Plenary, Harrington engaged in discussions on priorities shaping the region’s health agenda, from life-course immunization and respiratory health to digital transformation and resilient health systems. The exchange underscored that stronger health outcomes and stronger economies are mutually reinforcing and that innovation, trusted partnerships, and meaningful private-sector engagement will be essential to delivering scalable solutions across APEC economies.
Across all three engagements, a clear message emerged: healthy aging requires coordinated action across government, business, academia, and civil society. Harrington’s participation helped reestablish USCIB’s voice in APEC’s health discussions and reinforced the value of business expertise in advancing prevention, responsible digital innovation, and resilient health systems that support healthier populations and more sustainable economic growth throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
USCIB’s Whitney Baird, President and CEO, and Alice Slayton Clark, Senior Vice President, Trade, Investment, and Digital, will next attend the APEC CEO Summit in November.