Vietnamese Trade Minister Tran Tuan Anh speaks during a press conference after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation trade ministerial meeting in Hanoi on Sunday. (AP photo)HANOI - Asia-Pacific trade ministers issued a diluted “actions” statement after a weekend meeting in Vietnam, suggesting further pressure from the United States to avoid explicit pledges to combat protectionism. The statement came after a dispute over wording, particularly whether to include language about protectionism. “We call on officials to accelerate work to deepen Apec’s structural reform agenda to remove barriers to trade and investment,” it said. It is a pretext for protectionism.”Canadian Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said the focus should be on actions rather than statements.

Source: Bangkok Post May 21, 2017 13:41 UTC