US President Donald Trump gestures at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, October 29, 2025. (Photo: REUTERS/Tyrone Siu)

Casey Mace, the US senior official to APEC, made the remark in response to a reporter's question about Trump's early departure.

Mace said that his country has participated in its most "robust" ways during the APEC week.

"Schedules don't always align, and in the case of this week, they didn't align perfectly to allow for President Trump to stay for all of the events," he said.

Mace called Trump's participation in the APEC gathering for the two days a "signal of the US's commitment" to the multilateral event, which he recognizes as an important platform to advance the US economic agenda.