APEC Project Database

Project Title

Capacity Building Workshop on Resilient Supply Chain

Project Year

2024

Project Number

CTI_207_2024A

Project Session

Session 2

Project Type

Standard

Project Status

Completed Project

Project No.

CTI_207_2024A

Project Title

Capacity Building Workshop on Resilient Supply Chain

Project Status

Completed Project

Fund Account

APEC Support Fund

Sub-fund

ASF: Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific and Global Value Chains (FTAAP and GVCs)

Project Year

2024

Project Session

Session 2

APEC Funding

79,975

Co-funding Amount

38,750

Total Project Value

118,725

Sponsoring Forum

Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI)

Topics

Trade Facilitation

Committee

Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI)

Other Fora Involved

Other Non-APEC Stakeholders Involved

Proposing Economy(ies)

Korea

Co-Sponsoring Economies

Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Chile; China; Malaysia; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Viet Nam

Expected Start Date

01/01/2025

Expected Completion Date

28/02/2026

Project Proponent Name 1

Jiuen Kim

Job Title 1

Deputy Director

Organization 1

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Telephone 1

+82 1095965249

Email 1

juenkim19@mofa.go.kr

Project Proponent Name 2

Not Applicable

Job Title 2

Not Applicable

Organization 2

Not Applicable

Telephone 2

Not Applicable

Email 2

Not Applicable

Declaration

Jiuen Kim

Project Summary

We are living in a world where goods and services are outsourced and produced across the globe. This system, known as the supply chain, makes economies interconnected and is easily affected by various factors.

Against this background, it is crucial for APEC economies to invigorate discussions on how to establish a resilient supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region.

Therefore, the workshop, to be held on the margins of SOM3/2025, will focus on exploring various chapters of trade agreements in the Asia-Pacific region from a supply chain perspective, such as rules of origin, customs procedures, and regulatory coherence. Furthermore, through this workshop, we aim to explore the direction that FTAs/RTAs should take to enhance supply chain stability.

Relevance

Region

In the report "A New Look at the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP): Review of APEC's Progress," the Policy Support Unit (PSU) recommended that member economies explore CBNI activities that target emerging areas not yet covered.

According to a 2022 survey aimed at identifying the way forward for the Regional Economic Integration Capacity Building Needs Initiative (CBNI), respondents suggested that the initiative address untapped sectors, particularly in Supply Chain, Digital Economy (E-commerce), Trade and Environment, Trade Facilitation, and Intellectual Property Rights.

Korea, an economy that plays a significant role in the supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region and globally, as evidenced by its high share of intermediate goods exports and imports in total trade, would like to lead discussions on the supply chain.

Through this, Korea believes that all APEC member economies will achieve a common footing, enabling them to accelerate their trade negotiations.

Eligibility and Fund Priorities

1) The Workshop is a capacity building activity as part of the 4th CBNI, is intended to contribute to the advancement of the FTAAP discussion.

2) By reviewing how today’s trade agreements are addressing issues related to Supply Chain, and discussing how it would look like in the future, the Workshop also aims to accelerate “at the border” trade liberalization and facilitation efforts, improving the business environment “behind the border”, and enhance regional connectivity “across the border” as described in Guidelines and Eligibility Criteria on ASF on FTAAP and GVCs.

At the same time, the Workshop will promote GVC development and cooperation by i) addressing trade and investment issues that impact GVCs, ii) enabling developing economies to better participate in GVCs, iii) assisting SMEs to benefit from GVCs, iv) adopting effective trade facilitation measures, v) enhancing resiliency of GVCs, and vi) strengthening collaboration with other stakeholders on GVCs.

Capacity Building

The project will offer a valuable opportunity for FTAs/RTAs negotiators to deepen their understanding of supply chain aspects by reviewing various chapters of trade agreements. Through collaborative discussions and expert-led sessions, participants will explore key components such as rules of origin, customs procedures, and regulatory coherence, fostering a comprehensive grasp of how these elements interact within the broader context of trade.

Moreover, the project will serve as a dynamic platform for participants to share current practices and hands‐on experience and exchang3 views on the emerging issues of FTAs/RTAs negotiations. By exchanging insights and experiences, participants can identify common obstacles and develop strategies to address them.

Objectives

The project will focus on exploring various chapters of trade agreements related to supply chain aspects.

Furthermore, we aim to examine the direction that FTAs/RTAs, as well as regional platforms like APEC, should take to enhance supply chain stability.

By doing so, participants of the project will have the opportunity to analyze trade agreements from a supply chain perspective. They will then be better equipped to participate in future trade negotiations and implement trade policies with this knowledge in mind. Ultimately, this will contribute to establishing a resilient supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region.

As part of the 4th CBNI, the project will also help bridge FTA/RTA capacity gaps among member economies, thereby contributing to the FTAAP agenda.

Alignment

Beneficiaries and Outputs

Output

1) Research Paper
Research will be conducted prior to the workshop to produce a research paper, which will be self-funded. The paper will of approximately 3-4 pages, encompass: i) a review of recent discussions related to enhancing supply chain resilience in the Asia-Pacific region, and ii) the identification of possible areas for coordination among APEC member economies. We will circulate the paper ahead of the Workshop to gauge the interest of member economies and further develop the agenda.

2) One-Full Day Workshop

A one-day physical workshop will be held on the margins of SOM3/2025. This workshop will be thoughtfully designed to emphasize information sharing, capacity building, and fostering a foundational sense of cooperation among participants.

We will invite 70-90 participants from all member economies, primarily government officials responsible for FTA/RTA negotiations. Additionally, we will invite about 6 speakers, moderators, and panelists.

Tentative agenda is 1) Views and assessments regarding the current situation, 2) Views, suggestions, proposals on possible paths, schemes aimed at establishing resilient supply chain, and 3) Way forward(comments, recommendations on how to develop the 5th Phrase for CBNI). We will also hold 1-2 open session to encourage all participants to highlight 1-2 emerging issues in their own economy.

3) Workshop Summary Report

The summary report will be written no less than 15 pages excluding annexes. It will encompass summary from the presentations/speeches, key findings, shared best practices, implications(comments, discussions, recommendations etc) from the participants, and etc. A consolidated report combining research paper and summary report will be disseminated via APEC publication.

The target number of recommendations/best practices to be included in the report is 5.

Outcomes

1) Increased knowledge on risks associated with supply chain disruptions in the APEC region.

2) Increased awareness or acknowledgement of the need for more policy coordination within APEC to strengthen supply chain resilience.

Beneficiaries

Primary beneficiaries will be government officials in charge of APEC, or FTA/RTA negotiations. We expect officials from Ministry of Trade, Custom Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs to attend, but every APEC member economy will be invited to nominate relevant representative to participate.

Secondary beneficiaries will be experts, entrepreneurs, and etc.

Dissemination

Documents of the workshop such as presentation and reference will be provided to the participants. Publications regarding the project will be made available online through the APEC Publication page. We will share the publication with relevant organizations and academic institutions based on their request.

No intention to sell outputs arising from the project.

Gender

Please see Project Proposal in Supporting Documents folder.

Work Plan

Please see Project Proposal in Supporting Documents folder.

Risks

Please see Project Proposal in Supporting Documents folder.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Please see Project Proposal in Supporting Documents folder.

Linkages

The Workshop is held as part of the Regional Economic Integration Capacity Building Needs Initiative(CBNI) launched in 2012. However, the Supply Chain, which the Workshop will address, is a sector that has not been covered so far in previous CBNI activities.

Since the Workshop is aimed at discussing how to establish a resilient Supply Chain, the scope of discussion will cover expeditious, accurate, transparent movement of goods and services, in a digitalized and harmonized way, also for underrepresented groups.

Sustainability

The objectives of this project address critical, contemporary issues that require sustained attention, policy innovation, and coordinated international efforts. To ensure the continued impact of the project after APEC funding concludes, several follow-up initiatives and support mechanisms can be implemented.

To build on the project's outputs and outcomes, a structured plan for future actions could be established. This plan might include setting up working groups or task forces dedicated to areas where the need for further study or mutual cooperation has been identified through this project.

Direct Labour

Please see Project Proposal in Supporting Documents folder.

Are there any supporting document attached?

Yes

Project No.
Project Title
Project Status
Fund Account
Sub-fund
Project Year
Project Session
APEC Funding
Co-funding Amount
Total Project Value
Sponsoring Forum
Topics
Committee
Other Fora Involved
Other Non-APEC Stakeholders Involved
Proposing Economy(ies)
Co-Sponsoring Economies
Expected Start Date
Expected Completion Date
Project Proponent Name 1
Job Title 1
Organization 1
Telephone 1
Email 1
Project Proponent Name 2
Job Title 2
Organization 2
Telephone 2
Email 2
Declaration
Project Summary
Relevance
Objectives
Alignment
Beneficiaries and Outputs
Dissemination
Gender
Work Plan
Risks
Monitoring and Evaluation
Linkages
Sustainability
Direct Labour
Are there any supporting document attached?
hdFldAdmin
Project Number
Previous Fora
Secretariat Comments
Reprogramming Notes
Consolidated QAF
Endorsement By Fora
PD Sign Off
Batch
Forum Priority
Committee Ranking Category
Committee Priority
PDM Priority
Priority Within Funding Category
Monitoring Report Received
Completion Report Received
PMU Field 1
PMU Field 2
PMU Field 3
On Behalf Of
Proposal Status
Originating Sub-Forum
Primary Driver
Primary Objective
Secondary Driver
Secondary Objective
Approval Status
Attachments

Content Type: Standard Proposal