Dear Members,
Greetings from the Council! It has been an exciting and productive first month and a half, and I’ve greatly enjoyed the opportunity to connect with many of you and introduce myself. I look forward to continuing this momentum in the weeks ahead and scheduling more conversations. If you’d like to set up a meeting or call, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Yasmine at yrahmaan@usasean.org.
The Council team has been hard at work strengthening how we serve our members. Earlier this month, we held an offsite training session focused on strategy, member engagement, and cybersecurity best practices. A special thank you to Board Director Reggie Lai from TE Connectivity for leading an insightful cybersecurity simulation and sharing invaluable guidance on data protection.
On the U.S. trade policy front, with August trade deadlines now behind us, we are beginning to see a morsel of stability. The governments of Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia have all secured reciprocal tariff framework deals which set U.S. import tariff rates on goods made in those nations at 19%, while goods imported from Singapore will have a tariff of 10%. However, U.S. importers of goods from Laos and Myanmar will face a tariff of 40%, and from Brunei at 25%. As reciprocal tariff talks continue based on the framework deals which include areas such as implementing higher U.S. import tariff rates on transshipped goods and addressing country specific NTB’s, greater focus is now shifting to the proposed Section 232 and sectoral tariffs, particularly in semiconductors and pharmaceuticals and products made with steel and aluminum inputs. The Council remains committed to monitoring these developments closely and advocating for our members’ interests.
At the end of last month, USABC and AmCham Indonesia, in collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Investment and Downstream Industry/BKPM, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Jakarta to strengthen U.S.-Indonesia investment cooperation. The agreement, signed by Minister Rosan Roeslani, USABC Senior Vice President & Regional Managing Director Amb. Ted Osius, and AmCham Indonesia Managing Director Donna Priadi, establishes a framework to address policy bottlenecks, promote sustainable investment, and support Indonesia’s economic ambitions. This milestone reflects a deepened commitment by the U.S. private sector to work with the GOI to support inclusive growth, policy innovation, and public-private collaboration in key sectors such as digital infrastructure, energy, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing.
In the first week of August, the Council hosted a workshop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia titled “Securing Malaysia’s Digital Future: Navigating Cybersecurity Policy Against the Backdrop of New Emerging Technologies.” Officiated by Dr. Megat Zuhairy Megat Tajuddin, with keynote remarks from U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia, Edgard D. Kagan, the event convened senior Malaysian policymakers and U.S. industry leaders to discuss AI governance, online safety, digital payments, and the importance of public-private collaboration. We thank our members Visa, Cisco, and Amazon Web Services for supporting this initiative.
A week later, the Council hosted its first regional AI workshop, “ASEAN’s AI Safety Ecosystem,” as an official partner of the ASEAN AI Malaysia Summit in Kuala Lumpur. The event brought together senior ASEAN AI policymakers, U.S. Department of State officials, and USABC members to discuss responsible AI adoption, regulatory harmonization, and AI’s role in ASEAN’s digital future. Led by Mr. Adrian Marcellus, CEO of MyDIGITAL Corporation, the workshop featured keynote remarks from H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, ASEAN Secretary-General, and Russ Headlee of the U.S. Department of State, along with presentations from Amazon Web Services and Google and a panel including representatives from IMDA Singapore, MyDIGITAL, Meta, Salesforce, and Qualcomm. We extend our sincere appreciation to our member companies—Amazon Web Services, Google, Meta, Salesforce, and Qualcomm—for making this landmark event a success.
Over in the Philippines, the Council held its largest-ever 2025 Philippines Business Mission in Manila from August 11 to 14, 2025, led by Regional Managing Director and Senior Vice President Ted Osius. The Mission brought together 35 U.S. companies to engage with senior Philippine government officials on key areas like regulatory reform, digital transformation, and strategic partnerships. Guided by the theme "Advancing Inclusive Growth Through Strategic and Resilient Partnerships," the mission reaffirmed the U.S. private sector’s commitment to fostering collaboration, expanding investment in technology, defense, infrastructure, and other sectors, and supporting the Philippines' upcoming ASEAN chairmanship in 2026.
Immediately following, from August 14–15, the Council led yet another record-breaking mission, this time, the Aerospace, Defense, and Security (ADS) Mission to the Philippines. The 26-company delegation—the largest-ever ADS delegation in the Council’s 41-year history—featured substantive high-level engagements with the Secretary of National Defense, senior Ministry of National Defense leaders, and key stakeholders across the defense and civilian ADS ecosystem. Discussions centered on opportunities for co-production, joint development, technology transfers, and workforce development across defense systems, dual-use technologies, and cyber capabilities. Beyond defense, the mission addressed civil aviation, disaster resilience, and the broader role of the ADS sector in driving inclusive economic growth. Building on this strong foundation, the ADS Committee will continue expanding opportunities for U.S. companies to make meaningful contributions to the region’s defense and security landscape.
From August 13 to 15, the Stimson Center and USABC partnered to host the Mekong-U.S. Partnership Track 1.5 Dialogue on the Digital Economy in Bangkok. The conference—which drew roughly 70 participants from the U.S. private sector, ASEAN governments, U.S. embassy, development partners, civil society, and academia—served to share best practices and identify policy solutions to a range of issue areas relating to the digital economy in the Mekong region and ASEAN more broadly. These topics included data governance, online scams, digital payments, and artificial intelligence. The cross-sectoral participation in the conference allowed for robust and candid discussions on rapidly evolving issues, with policy recommendations identified at the dialogue to be shared with relevant U.S. government agencies.
Back in D.C., the Council had the honor of welcoming Dr. Cholachit Vorawangso Virakul, Assistant Secretary General of the Eastern Economic Corridor Office of Thailand (EECO), along with her delegation, for an insightful roundtable discussion and networking reception. Dr. Cholachit provided insights into the evolving investment landscape within the EEC, including updates on infrastructure expansion, the value proposition for investors, and Thailand’s strategic focus on high-tech industries such as digital infrastructure, medical technology, next generation automotives and tourism. Dr. Cholachit also emphasized the Thai government’s commitment to fostering public-private partnerships and international collaboration as key drivers of the EEC’s long-term success.
On August 20–21, USABC, in partnership with United Overseas Bank (UOB), organized the inaugural “2025 USABC Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone: Deep Dive into Opportunities Across the Causeway” program. Led by Chief Country Representative for Malaysia Tina Jamaluddin and Senior Manager Christine Wan, the two-day initiative brought together U.S. companies to explore the JS-SEZ, ASEAN’s first cross-national Special Economic Zone launched in January 2025. The program featured meetings with key government and business stakeholders in Malaysia and Singapore, including EDB, MTI, Enterprise Singapore, MIDA, MITI, and Johor state representatives, along with site visits to UPS’s Logistics Centre and FOZ One in Senai Airport City. The Council is proud to support both governments in advancing strategic economic growth and opportunities across the region.
On August 25, 2025, the Council, in collaboration with the MITI Malaysia, convened a DEFA In-Country Workshop in KL to support national alignment and readiness for the substantial completion and future implementation process of DEFA. The workshop fostered constructive public-private dialogue on key DEFA priorities, including cross-border data flows, electronic payments, data protection, and non-discriminatory treatment of digital products. Building on the Council's continued engagement with DEFA-related stakeholders, the initiative aims to equip policymakers with industry insights and accelerate DEFA implementation efforts ahead of its targeted substantial conclusion. I thank AWS, Google, and Mastercard for supporting this event. The Council is preparing for the continuation of this initiative through the DEFA 3.0 project, reflecting the interests and requests from ASEAN Member States and relevant stakeholders.
The next day, The Council, in partnership with Angsana Health, convened a high-level Preventive Healthcare Dialogue on August 26 in KL. The engagement concluded a regional series following the release of the Council’s paper, Advancing Preventive Health in Southeast Asia: Recommendations for Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Building on earlier sessions in Hanoi and Manila, the dialogue gathered over 50 participants from key agencies and industries. The session offered an opportunity to present the paper’s findings, exchange feedback on its recommendations, and discuss next steps for public-private collaboration. The Council looks forward to a second phase focusing on Indonesia, Thailand, and potentially Singapore.
Advocacy Win
Lastly, I want to highlight an advocacy win that reflects the Council’s impact in driving innovation and strengthening biosecurity across the region. Working closely with MSD Animal Health, the Council helped advance clinical field trials for an African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccine—a priority first raised during the 2024 Philippines Business Mission with Secretary Frederick Go, Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs (OSAPIEA). Through our endorsement and coordination with OSAPIEA and key agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Industry, Department of Trade and Industry, and the Food and Drug Administration, MSD secured import approval and launched field trials in February 2025. During the August 2025 Philippines Business Mission, MSD reported that these trials are nearing completion with highly promising results—underscoring the Council’s role as a trusted partner in advancing innovation and biosecurity.
As always, thank you for your continued partnership and engagement—we look forward to building on this momentum together.
Best Regards,
Brian
UPCOMING EVENTS
Meeting with MFA Minister Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan (September 1)
As the 2025 Singapore Business Mission draws to a close, the Council is pleased to offer an exclusive opportunity for Chairman’s Council members to engage in a high-level dialogue with Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan. Chaired by Ambassador Ted Osius, USABC’s Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director, this session will provide members a unique forum to exchange views on Singapore’s foreign policy priorities, ASEAN’s role amid heightened geopolitical tensions, and opportunities for the private sector to support regional stability, connectivity initiatives, and U.S.-Singapore economic engagement. Given the limited seating, each company is invited to nominate one representative, with seats allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Members are encouraged to coordinate with Rahul Rai (rrai@usasean.org)
Welcome Luncheon in Honor of H.E.Tan Sri Shahrul, Malaysian Ambassador to the U.S. (September 15)
The Council is pleased to host an in-person welcome luncheon in honor of His Excellency Tan Sri Shahrul, Ambassador of Malaysia to the United States, on Monday, September 15. Having commenced his duty in Washington, D.C. in July 2025, Ambassador Shahrul is focused on promoting Malaysia’s regional leadership within ASEAN and advancing the U.S.-Malaysia trade relationship, including overseeing a reduction in U.S. reciprocal tariffs to a 19% framework agreement. This exclusive luncheon will provide members a unique opportunity to hear Ambassador Shahrul’s perspectives on the bilateral relationship and discuss ways the Council and its members can partner with the Malaysian Embassy moving forward. Members are encouraged to contact Logan Carnicelli (lcarnicelli@usasean.org)
26th Business Mission to the 57th AEM Meeting (September 25-28)
The Council will organize the 26th Business Mission to the 57th ASEAN Economic Ministers' (AEM) Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on September 25–28, 2025. The Mission will be led by Marc Mealy, the Council’s Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer. It will focus on Malaysia’s 2025 Chairmanship priorities and the evolving global trade landscape, while also strengthening the ASEAN-U.S. economic partnership by aligning U.S. private sector contributions with the newly adopted ASEAN Economic Community Strategic Plan 2026–2030, particularly in the areas of digital economy, circular economy, and workforce development. In addition, the Council has submitted its recommendation paper to the ASEAN Secretariat in advance of the 57th AEM Meeting to ensure its due consideration by the Economic Ministers. Members that are interested in this Mission may reach out to Bella Afifa - Manager for ASEAN (safifa@usasean.org) and Reihan Farial - Associate for ASEAN (rfarial@usasean.org).
ADDITIONAL NEWS
ASEAN Committee Leadership Update: The Coca-Cola Company Steps up as the New ASEAN Committee Chair
The Council is pleased to announce that The Coca-Cola Company has stepped up to serve as the new Chair of the ASEAN Committee and has reaffirmed their commitment in supporting the Committee’s initiatives, with a particular focus on advancing the circular economy in the region, strengthening support for ASEAN’s digital trade regime through DEFA, and promoting standards harmonization and SME empowerment. The Coca-Cola Company, as Chair of the ASEAN Committee, will co-lead the upcoming 26th Business Mission to the 57th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ (AEM) Meeting.
Financial Services Committee Update: Manulife Financial Corporation Appointed as Vice Chair
The Council is pleased to announce that Manulife Financial Corporation has been appointed as the new Vice Chair of the Financial Services Committee as of early August. In this leadership role, Manulife will work closely with fellow committee leaders and members to advance the Council’s priorities for the Financial Services Committee on digital transformation, digital payments, and insurance, while also advocating for future-proof policies to unlock financing opportunities and strengthen ASEAN’s financial ecosystem.
Engagement with ASEAN Standards Body
The Council was invited to participate in the 14th Digital Trade Standards and Conformance Working Group (DTSCWG) Meeting of the ASEAN Consultative Committee for Standards and Quality (ACCSQ) on August 20, 2025. In the DTSCWG-U.S. Dialogue Partner session, the Council proposed to conduct a roundtable on “Best Practices in Implementing and Aligning Cybersecurity Standards and Conformance in ASEAN,” focusing on ISO/IEC 27001 and 27002. Member States endorsed the proposal and recommended holding the roundtable alongside the next DTSCWG Meeting on 2–4 December 2025. Members that are interested in this initiative may reach out to Reihan Farial - Associate for ASEAN (rfarial@usasean.org).
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