Dear Members,
May’s highlight was our May 27-28 Board Meetings, where I was able to thank the Directors for the opportunity to lead USABC. Discussions focused on improving what we do already, including ensuring that business missions deliver value and that we maintain our solid financial footing. I also proposed to the Board a new emphasis on policy advocacy, which is an effort to shape the economic policies across ASEAN in areas that USABC member companies care about. We are doing policy advocacy with the Digital Economic Framework Agreement, scheduled for signing and implementation by year’s end. And we are doing policy advocacy by working with the Government of the Philippines during its ASEAN Chairship year. If issue advocacy is like fixing a car, policy advocacy is being at the table to design a new, better car.
I also benefited from leading our May Business Missions to Singapore and Malaysia, with both governments coping well with energy and supply chain challenges, and welcoming continued USABC company activities. Now we will turn to followup from those missions.
And we were glad to host outgoing US Ambassadors to the Philippines, Lee Lipton; ASEAN, Y. Kevin Kim; and Vietnam, Jennifer Wicks. We told them that USABC greatly values its close working relationships with US embassies across the region.
To read the newsletter, please click on the download link below.
Best regards,
Brian
