Minister of Trade travels to Shenzhen: will sign the trade agreement with Thailand

The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR) confirmed the absence of its head: Supreme Resolution No. 312-2026-PCM, published in El Peruano on Friday, November 13, 2026, authorizes the trip of Minister Rogers Martín Valencia Espinoza to Shenzhen, in the People’s Republic of China. The regulation, dated in Lima on November 12, 2026, and endorsed by President Keiko Sofía Fujimori Higuchi, the President of the Council of Ministers Luis Fernando Galarreta Velarde, and the minister himself, further stipulates that his Office shall be entrusted to the Minister of Production, Juan Carlos Requejo Alemán, for the duration of the absence.

Scope of the authorization

The resolution sets the travel of the head of MINCETUR between November 14 and 21, 2026, with Shenzhen as the sole destination and for purposes linked to the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week (AELW). The provision is based on Article 127 of the Political Constitution of Peru, Law No. 29158, Law No. 32513 of the Public Sector Budget for Fiscal Year 2026, Law No. 27619, and Supreme Decree No. 047-2002-PCM, which reserves the authorization of trips for ministers and officials with ministerial rank to a supreme resolution.

The entrustment of the Office to Requejo Alemán extends, according to Article 3 of the regulation, “for as long as the absence of the Head lasts.” Article 4 specifies that the authorization does not grant the right to tax exemption or release, nor to the payment of customs duties of any kind.

Agenda: APEC, bilaterals, and the agreement with Thailand

According to the preamble, the Thirty-Third APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting will take place on November 18 and 19, 2026, covering topics such as the strengthening of the multilateral trading system, regional economic integration, the digital economy, paperless trade facilitation, and cross-border e-commerce.

• November 17: bilateral leaders’ meetings; in the Peruvian case, with representatives from China, Vietnam, Singapore, and the Philippines, among others.
• November 18 and 19: sessions of the Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM).
• November 19: the minister will sign the Free Trade Agreement between the Republic of Peru and the Kingdom of Thailand, the negotiations of which concluded at the end of 2025.

The resolution indicates that this agreement will allow for the obtaining of tariff preferences and the diversification of destination markets for Peruvian exportable offerings, “especially in the fishing, mining, and agricultural sectors,” in addition to promoting the entry of Peruvian companies into that market under non-discriminatory treatment conditions.

Cost of the trip and forum background

Article 2 details the expenditure charged to the institutional budget of MINCETUR:

• Tickets: US$ 3,699.35, in economy class and Asia geographic zone.
• Per diem: US$ 500.00 per day for 4 days, equivalent to US$ 2,000.00.
• Total per diem: US$ 2,000.00.

The regulation recalls that APEC, established in 1989, brings together 21 economies of the Pacific Rim; Peru has been a member since 1998 and chaired the forum in 2008, 2016, and 2024. The invitation from the host economy is dated September 28, 2026. This authorization is added to other sector provisions published in November, such as Ministerial Resolution No. 417-2026-MINCETUR, which authorized the Director General of International Trade Negotiations, José Luis Castillo Mezarina, to participate in the same meetings.

The trip places Peru in the final stretch of an intense commercial agenda: the signing of the agreement with Thailand and the bilaterals with China, Vietnam, Singapore, and the Philippines seek to expand markets for exportable offerings and attract investment in infrastructure, connectivity, and mining-energy projects. For foreign trade operators, the outcome of this week will define tariff preferences and rules of origin that must later be reflected in customs procedures.

Source: El Peruano, No. 19634, November 13, 2026, Legal Regulations section – Presidency of the Council of Ministers, pp. 4-5 (official reference: Supreme Resolution No. 312-2026-PCM, code 2574516-4).