Market accessAPECExport controlsNZ and the WTOOECDTrade AgreementsTrade RelationshipsTrade and economic analysisTrade law
Start writing the country or territory name in the box. Typing more letters narrows the search. Click "go" or hit "Enter" to go to the information paper on the country or territory.
(We don't have information papers on all countries and territories.)
Although we have tried to use plain English content on the site, you may come across specialist terms and acronyms. Find out what they mean in our glossary of terms.
If you come across a term that isn't included in the Glossary please send us an email.
Read about the outcomes for New Zealand from last year's APEC Summit meetings in Sydney from 5 to 9 September 2007.
APEC began in 1989 with 12 members and has now grown to 21.
APEC members are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, the United States and Viet Nam.
APEC members are referred to as member “economies” because not all members are states and the APEC process is predominantly concerned with trade and economic issues.
APEC spans four continents and is home to just under half of the world’s population. APEC accounts for close to 50 percent of the world’s trade and 57 percent of global GDP.
APEC Member Economies
The focal point of APEC is its annual leaders meeting, the largest gathering of its kind in the region. The APEC process involves ministerial and officials forums covering a wide range of issues, including trade and investment, economic cooperation and counter-terrorism.
Since its inception, APEC has been driven by three core principles:
These principles underpinned the Bogor Goals, agreed by APEC leaders in 1994. The Goals sought to achieve “free and open trade and investment” in the region by 2010 for industrialised economies and 2020 for developing members. In 2005 APEC conducted a review of progress towards the Bogor Goals, and issued the “Busan Roadmap” to chart further progress. "A Mid-Term Stocktake of Progress Towards the Bogor Goals" [external link].
APEC members pursue the Goals through a range of channels, including unilateral measures, APEC collective action plans, global trade talks (in the World Trade Organisation) and free trade agreements. Progress towards the Goals by member economies is monitored through a peer review process. New Zealand has already made significant progress towards the Goals, and undertook its latest peer review in 2007.
