U.S. supports APEC goals

U.S. supports APEC goals

SINGAPORE (Reuter): The United States and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum said yesterday that Washington was firmly committed to APEC's proposed regional free-trade targets of 2010 and 2020.

The U.S. embassy and the Singapore-based APEC secretariat said in a joint statement that news reports on Tuesday had misinterpreted the position of APEC and the U.S. on the issue.

APEC Secretariat Executive Director Shojiro Imanishi had been quoted as saying "the U.S. has now made a U-turn in implementing a tariff-free Asia-Pacific region by the year 2020".

The joint statement said: "The United States commitment to open and free trade investment by 2010/2020 remains firm and has not changed."

The joint statement did not say Imanishi had been misquoted. Imanishi was not immediately available for comment.

In the Indonesian city of Bogor last November, leaders of APEC's 18 members agreed to aim for free trade and investment by the year 2010 among industrialized members and 2020 for developing members.