Tony Goodger of the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers highlights some exciting benefits for the UK meat sector through new trade deals. In October 2021 the Government published the “UK approach to joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)”. A 66-page document making the case for joining the 11 existing members in a £9 trillion+ trade block of in excess of 500 million people. Reading back over it, it is of note that the words ‘Beef’ and…
Since RCEP came into effect in China and Japan in January and South Korea in February of 2022, it became the first free trade agreement that fully includes all three economies of China, Japan and South Korea. The trade deal helps reduce the tariff costs of cross-border trade among its members and promotes such measures as self-declaration of origin by approved exporters. China has now become Japan’s and South Korea’s largest trading partner. Meanwhile, South Korea and Japan have become…
APEC released a set of guidelines to further the forum’s work on environmental services and marine debris management. The guidelines encourage member economies to facilitate services that support the clean-up of marine debris from beaches, rivers, coastal areas, and the open ocean. Marine debris refers to plastic and other litter, discarded and lost fishing equipment, industrial rubbish, and other human-created waste that enters the seas and oceans. A 2020 report by APEC Ocean and Fisheries Working Group estimated that marine…
The Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC) is the pleased to announce its wholehearted support for the OGCI-incubated Aiming for Zero Methane Emissions Initiative, which aims to eliminate methane emissions from signatories’ operations by 2030. The Aiming for Zero Methane Emissions Initiative recognizes that virtually all methane emissions from the energy industry can and should be avoided. The initiative was developed by members of the OGCI, a CEO-led group that aims to speed up the industry’s response to climate change. Aiming…
PBEC held its AGM 2023 in a hybrid live format, with approved attendees able to either join in person in Hong Kong at KPMG Boardroom in Princes Building or via online on zoom. It was one of our most attended AGM’s for a number of years which was great to see, with representatives from APEC economies such as; Vietnam, Hong Kong SAR, Australia, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, China and Macao. Further afield we had members join from the USA,…
PBEC welcomes both Peter Burnett OBE, BBS Managing Director of Standard Chartered Bank Hong Kong Limited and Mary Simpson Director of International Member Engagement at ICAEW to its board of directors. Both were formally elected by majority vote at the recently held hybrid PBEC AGM 2023 attended by over 60 members from across APAC. Peter is the immediate past Chair of Britcham HK one of the largest and most professionally run chambers anywhere in the world and is a key…
Ministers of Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore, Parties of the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), and the Republic of Korea (ROK) met on the sidelines of the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris, France, on 8 June 2023. The Ministers welcomed the substantial conclusion of discussions on the ROK’s accession to the DEPA. Accession of the ROK to the DEPA The DEPA Parties are delighted that discussions for the ROK to accede to this world-leading agreement have substantially concluded, making…
PBEC Trade Report June 2023 AUSTRALIA & EU FACING TOUGH WEEKS: Australia and the EU face tough weeks ahead as they seek to resolve contentious issues and deliver an FTA. Following talks in Brussels during the week Trade Minister Farrell told Sky News he would walk away if an FTA “in the interests of Australia” could not be reached. LEADING ECONOMIES CALL OUT COERCION: Australia, New Zealand, US, Japan, UK and Canada met in Paris during the week and issued…
Dear Members and friends of PBEC. On behalf of Pascal Lamy, chair of the French Pacific Territories Economic Committee (FPTPEC), I am delighted to extend an invitation to the PBEC members & its community to join this special seminar on June 13 and 14 in Noumea (New-Caledonia) on the theme of “The deep seabed: the state of play in Asia-Pacific“. This hybrid seminar will bring together speakers from across the Asia-Pacific region (Australia, China, Cook Islands, Malaysia, New Caledonia, New…
At our Annual Dialogues Summit 2022 in November, PBEC teamed up with The Local2030 Islands Network and advocate for Dashboard data monitoring software as an essential tool in sharing best practices to mitigate emissions and achieve its SDG goals. It is the world’s first global, island-led peer-to-peer network devoted to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through locally driven solutions and we really like many of the initiatives this group is developing, so its only fair we share. Sharing is…