The Honorable Enoh T. Ebong, Director, U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) | PHOTO: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Prosper Africa/AFP
MANILA, Philippines — A high-ranking United States trade official is set to arrive in the Philippines next week, the latest in a recent string of economic officials from the U.S. touching base to improve business relations between the two allied nations.
A delegation from the U.S. led by U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Director Enoh Ebong will be in Manila next week for the 6th Indo-Pacific Business Forum (IPBF) to be held on May 21.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Manila, more than 500 government and private-sector leaders from the US and across the Indo-Pacific region will attend the event.
It said the forum aims to build partnerships and share insights on the latest trends, opportunities, and solutions to support infrastructure in the region’s emerging economies.
The U.S. Embassy also said several announcements and agreements will be made during the forum, but did not disclose details about these.
Building partnerships
Ebong’s visit follows the visits of US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Ramin Toloui last April and US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in March.
READ: A first: US Presidential Trade and Investment Mission in PH
Raimondo had announced during her two-day visit that the US companies that were part of her delegation were investing more than $1 billion in the Philippines.
She also urged the Philippines to double the number of its chip manufacturing facilities and vowed that support would come from Washington.
She made reference to the support from the US Chips and Science Act, a recently passed legislation that allocated around $52.7 billion in funding semiconductor research, development, manufacturing, and workforce development.
According to the Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the US has chosen the Philippines as one of the partner countries under the said industry development measure.