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APEC Business Travel Card



The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) facilitates business travel, investment, and trade opportunities in the APEC region and ensures more efficient business travel.  Businesspeople of 18 APEC economies can already use the ABTC, and U.S. businesses face a competitive disadvantage because their U.S. citizen employees are currently not included in the APEC Business Travel Card program.

Since 2009, AmCham has urged Congress to pass the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Cards Act of 2009 to enable the Department of Homeland Security to distribute ABTCs to Americans. This is a simple step to give American business travelers reciprocal treatment in participating countries, and encourage seamless travel and promote cross-border trade in services in the APEC region.

On November 4, 2011, the  Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Cards (ABTC) Act of 2011 was passed by the U.S. Congress. AmCham Singapore applauded its passage.

Click here to read our press release.

More about the APEC Business Travel Cards

APEC developed the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) in response to the need for business people to gain streamlined entry to the economies of the Asia-Pacific region. The card further advances APEC’s goal of free and open trade and investment as qualified business people from participating countries can access APEC countries with ease.

The ABTC card enables holders to use special fast-track immigration lanes at international airports. Additionally, some APEC economies allow the card, which is valid for three years, to serve as a visa for card holders of certain nationalities.  While it is uncertain what visa-free benefits would be available to U.S. ABTC card holders, this provision allows some card holders to avoid time-consuming visa application processes.

The APEC Business Travel Card:
  • Promotes U.S. competitiveness: Although non-US citizens already have the ability to use the card, including for entering the U.S. via special immigration lanes, the U.S. does not yet issue the ABTC to Americans, because no legislative authority exists to allow issuance of the cards to U.S. citizens. As a result, U.S. citizens are currently at a competitive disadvantage.
  • Is already In Place for International Travelers: Since September 2007, the U.S. has allowed use of special lanes by current card holders from other APEC economies, and all card holders undergo screening.
  • Has no additional cost to U.S. taxpayers: The current APEC Business Travel Card Act of 2009 legislation requires cost recovery from a fee charged for the card.