Thank you to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for inviting me to speak today.

We have one overarching goal at the Commerce Department: to improve America’s competitiveness so that our workers and companies can succeed in the global economy.

And a major part of achieving that goal is revitalizing of our alliances around the world.

I am especially heartened by the cooperation between the U.S. and our allies to help address the Ukraine crisis. Together, and with our other allies around the world, we’ve formed a united front to respond to Russia’s unjustified, unprovoked, and inhumane invasion of Ukraine.

We’ve implemented a sweeping series of stringent export controls that are targeting Russia’s defense, aerospace, and maritime sectors.

These actions are having their desired effects thanks to the momentous cooperation between the U.S. and our allies. Together, we are making it clear that we will not tolerate Russia's aggression against a democratically elected government.

The Commerce Department is also deeply involved with the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council, or TTC, a key forum to set the rules of the road for technology in accordance with our democratic values.

We are updating and aligning our standards for things like cybersecurity and AI; shaping policies in areas like data governance and competition; supporting transatlantic supply chains; and delivering for people and businesses in our countries.

TTC’s work will help American businesses access markets, reach new consumers, create new jobs at home, and ensure that Europe’s policies don’t impede U.S. competitiveness. We’re looking forward to reviewing progress and outcomes at the TTC’s next meeting in France later this month.

Beyond Europe, another incredibly important area of the world is the Indo-Pacific region, which includes some of the most dynamic economies in the world.

Our partners and allies in the region are hungry for American leadership. They want to work with us on areas like supply chains, clean energy, and technology.

And the region is growing quickly. The World Bank projects Malaysia will transition to a high-income economy within the next six years. And more than one billion Asians are expected to join the global middle class by 2030.

That’s why I’m excited to co-lead the Administration’s effort to create the new Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which will help us identify opportunities to collaborate on shared priorities, like infrastructure investment, semiconductors, R&D, and standards for AI and privacy.

Coordination in these key areas, with allies and partners, is essential not only for global economic recovery, but to ensure American businesses are positioned to seize new opportunities in a post-pandemic world.

Each of these efforts are integral to our broader goal of increasing America’s competitiveness in the global economy, and the Chamber has been vital to that work.

So thank you to the Chamber for inviting me to speak today, and for your ongoing dedication to strengthening the U.S. relationship around the globe.

I wish you a productive forum.