The United States hosted the first Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ meeting in 1993.
The meeting was held on Blake Island near Seattle, Washington, in November 1993. It was the first gathering of APEC economic leaders and helped give the forum a higher political profile beyond its original ministerial-level discussions.
APEC had been founded in Canberra, Australia, in 1989 by 12 economies. Its members use the term “economies” because APEC focuses on trade and economic cooperation and includes entities with different political statuses.
The first leaders’ meeting should not be confused with APEC’s founding meeting. Australia hosted the 1989 ministerial meeting that created APEC, while the United States hosted the first leaders’ gathering four years later.