Why APEC
![President Obama with other APEC leaders.](https://www.apec2011usa.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/President-Obama-with-other-APEC-leaders.jpg)
President Obama on the second day of the 2009 APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in Singapore.
APEC economies are the most dynamic, fastest growing in the world, and the engine of global economic recovery. APEC is the premier vehicle for advancing US economic and trade engagement with the Asia-Pacific region.
Established in 1989, the 21-member APEC forum encompasses virtually all of the Pacific Rim, and is the only inter-governmental forum in the world with an officially sanctioned mechanism for private sector input. Since its inception, APEC has worked to reduce tariffs and other trade barriers across the Asia-Pacific region, creating more efficient domestic economies and dramatically increasing exports.