New Trade Tool Helps Small Businesses Navigate Tariffs, Supply Chain Risks

Issued by the APEC Secretariat

Singapore, 9 September 2026

Persistent supply chain disruptions are increasing uncertainty for businesses across the Asia-Pacific, prompting APEC business leaders to upgrade a tool that helps small businesses identify vulnerabilities and manage risks.

The APEC Business Advisory Council’s Supply Chain Resilience Toolkit presents firms with a series of questions that can help them to assess their strengths and gaps across five areas (flexibility, visibility, connectivity, robustness and redundancy). It will then provide a resilience score and practical recommendations, from diversifying suppliers to strengthening trade compliance.

“Supply chain resilience matters most when it reaches the businesses moving goods across borders,” said Eduardo Pedrosa, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat. “This toolkit is trade facilitation in practice, making it easier for small businesses to trade with more confidence.”

The update comes as pressure on global supply chain pressure remains elevated. First developed following widespread supply chain disruptions in the early 2020s, the toolkit has since been used by more than 2,850 businesses regionwide.

"This toolkit gives businesses a practical way to identify supply chain risks and vulnerabilities early to strategically plan ahead and build resilience,” said Li Fanrong, 2026 Chair of the APEC Business Advisory Council. "It is a clear example of ABAC and APEC bridging policy and the practical needs of businesses on the ground."

The toolkit now also includes an artificial intelligence-enabled tariff tool, designed to help businesses navigate increasingly complex trade requirements. For smaller firms without dedicated trade specialists, the additional guidance can help reduce the time and resources needed to understand the costs and requirements of moving goods across borders.

"Building resilience requires more than reacting to disruption. It means developing greater flexibility, visibility and preparedness across the supply chain. We hope this upgraded toolkit helps MSMEs identify opportunities to strengthen their operations, manage risk and pursue growth with greater confidence.” added Shiumei Lin, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, UPS Asia Pacific Region.

Led by ABAC China and ABAC United States, the update draws on contributions from businesses and organizations including UPS, Johnson & Johnson, Access Partnership, the National Center for APEC and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

The toolkit has also been expanded to seven languages, including English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean and Thai, to make its guidance more accessible to businesses across the region.

“Providing such tools for more small businesses in more languages is an excellent example of the kinds of practical deliverables that APEC and ABAC can provide through regional cooperation,” noted Monica Hardy Whaley, President of National Center for APEC, another key contributor.

The toolkit is hosted on the National Center for APEC website and available globally at no cost, with web and WeChat access for businesses.

Deadline extended: APEC Photo Contest 2026

Issued by the APEC Secretariat

Singapore, 8 September 2026

The deadline for the 2026 APEC Photo Contest has been extended. This year, the contest invites photographers from across the Asia-Pacific to capture people, places and moments that reflect this year’s theme, "Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together."

The 2026 contest welcomes photographs inspired by the theme or one of APEC China’s three priorities of the year:

Openness, which captures the connections that link people, communities and economies across borders;
Innovation, which reveals the ideas and creative solutions shaping the future;
Cooperation, which celebrates working together and collective action throughout the region.

Participants may submit up to three photographs taken with a professional camera, digital camera or mobile phone. Only minor digital editing is allowed. The contest is open to citizens or residents of APEC’s 21 member economies.

Submissions may capture how these priorities improve lives, strengthen businesses and lift communities across the Asia-Pacific through the perspective of those experiencing them every day.

"Every photograph tells a story about how people and communities are creating opportunity across the Asia-Pacific," said Eduardo Pedrosa, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat.

"Together, these photographs stories offer a powerful perspective on what prosperity means across our region and help tell the human stories behind APEC’s work.”

Photos may be submitted through an online form before the extended deadline of 13 September 2026 at 23:59 Singapore time.

An international panel of judges will evaluate entries based on their interpretation of APEC's 2026 theme and priorities, composition and quality, as well as creativity and message.

The winner of the judges' prize will receive SGD2,500, while the second and third place winners will receive SGD2,000 and SGD1,500, respectively.

The top 10 finalists will be revealed in early October, after which the public can vote for their favorite photograph via the official platform on apec.org. The image receiving the most votes will win the Popular Choice Award of SGD1,000.

In addition, participants may also share their entries through Instagram to stand a chance to win the Influencer Award worth SGD 1,000, which recognizes the entry generating the highest engagement during the contest period.

The winners will be announced during the APEC Economic Leaders' Week in Shenzhen, China in November.

Learn more about the competition and submit your entry here.

For further details and media inquiries, please contact:
media@apec.org