Arlington, VA – Today, U.S. Trade and Development Agency Director Enoh T. Ebong opened the 5th Indo-Pacific Business Forum (IPBF) in Tokyo, Japan. IPBF is the leading U.S. government event to promote trade, investment and economic cooperation between the United States and its partners in the Indo-Pacific region. USTDA is hosting and sponsoring IPBF 2023 in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the U.S. Department of State and in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan.
In her opening remarks, Director Ebong announced calls for proposals to expand USTDA’s portfolio in eligible Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and Pacific Island countries. USTDA will also deploy Infrastructure Accelerator Teams to the region, to identify project preparation assistance opportunities to help unlock financing for the region’s infrastructure priorities.
“One of the most important questions we will address today and face in the years to come is how we can fully mobilize the technical innovation of our industry, while building stronger, fairer, and more resilient economies that work for all our citizens,” said Director Ebong. “Deploying sustainable infrastructure will be critical to this effort. From clean energy and decarbonization, to the digital economy and supply chains, high-quality infrastructure will be the key for stimulating inclusive growth across the Indo-Pacific.”
IPBF 2023 highlighted opportunities for U.S. companies and their Indo-Pacific partners to play a leading role in contributing to the region’s economic development. The event focused on facilitating high-quality infrastructure investment through partnerships between the Indo-Pacific and United States. IPBF 2023 advanced U.S. foreign policy priorities including the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, and Pacific Island Strategic Infrastructure Initiative.
This year’s event, livestreamed from Tokyo, included more than 1,000 participants in 53 countries.
Additional information on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework call for proposals can be found here.
Additional information on the Pacific Islands call for proposals can be found here.
For more information on USTDA’s program in the Indo-Pacific, please view our latest fact sheet.
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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.
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