MoIT leader shares views on AI and Trade at APEC 2025

This year’s meeting drew significant attention due to the participation of trade ministers from 21 major economies in the Asia-Pacific region, including key players such as the United States, China, and Japan, as well as senior representatives from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The conference aims to explore collective responses and cooperative measures for APEC in the context of a rapidly evolving global trade environment.

Following the opening remarks, the first session began with the theme “Artificial Intelligence for Trade.” Minister Nguyen Hong Dien, Head of the Vietnamese delegation, was the third speaker, following WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry.

In his speech, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien underscored the timeliness of the topic and emphasized the role of AI in driving future trade. He noted that under Vietnam’s National Strategy on Research, Development and Application of AI to 2030, artificial intelligence is identified as a foundational technology with the potential to transform production capacity, enhance national competitiveness, and promote sustainable economic growth.

Minister Nguyen Hong Dien delivers remarks at the First discussion session of the APEC MRT Trade Ministers’ Meeting. Photo: Congthuong.vn

AI as a Catalyst for Trade – Opportunities and Challenges

Sharing Vietnam’s perspective on AI and trade, the Minister noted:

Firstly, AI presents both direct and indirect opportunities for trade.

Directly, AI can be leveraged to reduce trade-related costs, including logistics, supply chain management, customs automation, border control procedures, and risk forecasting.

E-commerce, in particular, benefits from AI through the removal of language barriers and reduced search and matching costs. These improvements help businesses access global markets more efficiently and engage more deeply in international trade. In this regard, Vietnam welcomes the APEC AI Initiative, with its vision of “Building a Sustainable Future with AI: Creative Economic Growth Across the Asia-Pacific.”

Indirectly, AI drives demand and trade in technology-related products and services.

The growth in AI research and applications boosts the need for complementary goods such as IT infrastructure, computer and telecom services, specialized development tools, and software libraries.

Many AI-related goods and services—such as semiconductors and smartphones—are supplied by a limited number of economies, meaning international trade plays a key role in advancing AI both regionally and globally.

Further upstream in the value chain, the mining and processing of critical minerals and metals—key inputs for AI-related manufacturing—will also see increased demand and activity.

Secondly, alongside the opportunities, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien also emphasized the importance of addressing the risks and challenges associated with AI to ensure all APEC members benefit equitably from its application in trade.

On the legal front, the evolving nature of AI can outpace domestic regulations, particularly in specialized areas such as intellectual property rights and data governance.

On international cooperation, the growing number of bilateral and regional AI governance initiatives, each with different focuses, risks leading to fragmented or overlapping approaches.

Varying national policy priorities and the absence of common AI standards have further contributed to a fragmented regulatory landscape.

In light of these challenges, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien expressed Vietnam’s support for South Korea’s proposal to initiate discussions on establishing an APEC AI Standards Forum. Such a forum would contribute to the development of a unified global AI governance framework.

It is worth noting that South Korea is currently making extensive preparations for the APEC 2025 Summit. By the end of September, the country is expected to complete key conference infrastructure, including the main venue at Hwabaek International Convention Center (HICO), as well as accommodation for national leaders and CEOs.

These facilities will include a 2,000-square-meter banquet hall at the National Museum of Korea in Gyeongju and approximately 9,300 rooms across more than 100 lodging facilities in nearby cities such as Daegu and Busan to host attending delegations.

APEC is the world’s largest economic cooperation mechanism, accounting for over 60% of global GDP and half of the world’s trade. The 2025 APEC Summit is expected to welcome around 20,000 participants, including leaders of 21 member economies, government delegations, business leaders, and journalists, with a peak daily attendance ranging from 7,500 to 9,500 people.