The recent U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) shook the Asia-Pacific region, prompting governments and stakeholders across the region to question why the U.S. walked away from an agreement offering substantial economic and strategic benefits. Widespread skepticism about the benefits of trade agreements, as well as a broader backlash against trade and globalization, are adding to this uncertainty as global growth slows. With the TPP’s future in doubt due to the withdrawal of the U.S., and with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations still incomplete, Asia’s trade landscape is at a critical juncture.

In light of these high stakes, the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) established an Independent Commission on Trade Policy to examine the regional trade landscape, and offer practical recommendations for policymakers in its new report, Charting a Course for Trade and Economic Integration in the Asia-Pacific.

Join ASPI for a special launch event at the Embassy of Australia featuring Commission Members and Asian ambassadors, who will assess the region’s trade landscape and discuss the report’s recommendations on how to chart a path forward for economic integration in the Asia-Pacific.

This event is by invitation-only. For additional information, please contact [email protected] or 202-833-2742.

Speakers

Report Authors

• Wendy Cutler, Vice President of Asia Society Policy Institute
• Peter Grey, former Ambassador of Australia to Japan, the European Union, and WTO

Additional Speakers

• Joe Hockey, Ambassador of Australia to the United States (introductory speaker)
• Ahn Ho-young, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States
• Pham Quang Vinh, Ambassador of Vietnam to the United States
• Shawn Donnan (Moderator), World Trade Editor of the Financial Times