Happy New Year. Let me start with what I see as one big-picture issue for 2026: completion and implementation of U.S. trade agreements with additional ASEAN member states, beyond Malaysia and Cambodia. Tracking and providing input on those agreements remains a top priority – see the Tariff and Trade Working Group 2.0 entry below; open to all members without sponsorship cost. In addition, once agreements begin to be implemented, I see a critical role for USABC member companies to verify whether non-tariff barriers and other provisions are being implemented or not and providing ground-truth to our USG interlocutors.
Speaking of our USG partners, under EVP Marc Mealy’s leadership, USABC is ramping up its Washington, D.C., outreach as our Board Directors have requested, focusing primarily on off-the-record discussions with senior Administration officials – State Department Assistant Secretary for East Asia and the Pacific Michael DeSombre on January 5 – as well as Congress, visiting ASEAN officials, and regular sessions with ASEAN ambassadors – Philippines Ambassador Romualdez on January 22 (see also my podcast with him). As we look to create more opportunities for members to engage Administration officials, also stay tuned for more details on the 2026 Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial event in Tokyo in March, which two U.S. cabinet secretaries are scheduled to attend with USABC as a partner organization. Another new area of emphasis is U.S.-China commercial competition in ASEAN and the evolution of China-ASEAN economic relations, especially in light of China’s chairmanship of APEC this year.
Finally, a number of members have asked for more information on our advocacy efforts – job one for USABC – so attached is a report on what I consider our top advocacy successes last year. Currently, we are working on digitizing our internal advocacy tracking system to continue improving how we report these efforts to members. I welcome your comments on that and any other matters.
To start 2026, the Council convened its first event of the year with a high-level roundtable at the U.S. Department of State on January 5 featuring Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael DeSombre, focused on the Administration’s Indo-Pacific priorities, including supporting U.S. business success, strengthening supply chain security, building coalitions to secure access to critical minerals and energy exports, and advancing effective implementation of recent trade agreements. The discussion provided USABC member companies an opportunity to engage directly with senior U.S. government leadership, share on-the-ground perspectives, and explore how policy priorities can translate into durable economic and strategic outcomes.
Over in the region from January 12-14, the Council led its 2026 Digital Economy Mission to Vietnam in Hanoi, convening 15 leading U.S. technology and financial services companies on the sidelines of the ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting. The Mission facilitated high-level engagement with senior Vietnamese government officials and U.S. government counterparts, advancing dialogue on secure and interoperable digital infrastructure, trusted cross-border data flows, alignment with international standards, and reducing market access barriers.
The same week, USABC’s Vice President for Technology and Research Mario Masaya, along with USABC’s ICT Committee Chair Harish Krishnan, Managing Director, Government Affairs, South Asia and Southeast Asia, Cisco Systems, led a delegation of senior executives from 18 U.S. companies to the 6th ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting in Hanoi, reinforcing U.S. industry’s role as a trusted partner in advancing ASEAN’s digital economy. Through ministerial meetings, eight bilateral engagements, and USABC’s working luncheon, the delegation presented U.S. industry priorities and supported ADGMIN’s focus on intelligent connectivity, responsible AI, cybersecurity, data governance, digital trade, and digital infrastructure. The Mission highlighted strong public-private cooperation, welcomed ADGSOM’s endorsement of the Public-Private Partnership Principles to Tackle Online Scams, and reaffirmed USABC’s commitment to continued capacity-building and policy dialogue to support high-standard, resilient, and inclusive digital growth across ASEAN.
In the Philippines, USABC’s Philippines Committee convened a roundtable in Manila with the U.S. Mission to ASEAN on January 13, led by Chargé d’Affaires Joy M. Sakurai, bringing together 11 member companies to align on 2026 priorities and deepen coordination with U.S. government counterparts. The discussion highlighted USABC’s 2026 programming and early preparations related to the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairship, with a focus on ASEAN-wide priorities such as artificial intelligence, opportunities in health, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response, and key business issues including regulatory harmonization, expanded U.S. development and investment financing, and potential new U.S.-ASEAN initiatives across AI, health, and defense cooperation.
In Jakarta, USABC convened a hybrid roundtable on Indonesia’s newly enacted Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP) in collaboration with HHP Law Firm on January 22, bringing together members and foreign chamber partners to assess implications for businesses operating in Indonesia. Featuring expert briefings from HHP Law Firm leadership, the discussion outlined key legal changes, practical compliance considerations, and implementation risks, underscoring the importance of early compliance readiness and proactive risk management as Indonesia’s legal framework evolves.
Staying in Jakarta, USABC, with the participation of Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (KOMDIGI), convened a workshop on building a future-ready, world-class digital ecosystem on January 20 emphasizing innovation, trust, and alignment with global standards. The session featured opening remarks from Director General of Digital Infrastructure Wayan Toni Supriyanto and was followed by a closed-door discussion with Vice Minister Nezar Patria, providing valuable insights into KOMDIGI’s priorities and reinforcing the importance of sustained public-private collaboration to support Indonesia’s digital transformation.
Back in Washington, USABC hosted a roundtable with Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez, the Philippines’ Ambassador to the United States, on January 22. The discussion focused on the Philippines’ priorities as ASEAN Chair in 2026, highlighting key economic and policy objectives shaping the Chairship agenda, with particular emphasis on supply chains, the digital economy, and regional trade priorities, and provided member companies an opportunity to explore avenues for U.S.-ASEAN engagement and private sector collaboration throughout the year. Following the roundtable, I had the opportunity to sit down with Ambassador Romualdez and host the Council’s second podcast episode of Bottom Line with USABC. See below.
To end the month, USABC led a business mission to the 29th ASEAN Tourism Ministers’ Meeting on the sidelines of the first ASEAN ministerial hosted by the Philippines under its 2026 Chairship from January 26-30 in Cebu, engaging ASEAN Tourism Ministers, Heads of National Tourism Organizations, and senior officials through plenary consultations, bilateral meetings, and a Council-hosted dinner. Discussions focused on advancing sustainable, value-based tourism growth, with emphasis on market and product diversification, SME empowerment, talent and technology, and improved regional connectivity, reinforcing USABC’s role in supporting ASEAN’s evolving tourism agenda.
As always, we value your engagement and welcome your feedback on these efforts, including how we can continue to strengthen our advocacy reporting and member engagement in the year ahead. Thank you for your continued partnership and support as we advance U.S. business interests across ASEAN.
Best Regards,
Brian
TTWG 2.0 Spotlight
The Council’s Trade and Tariffs Working Group (TTWG) special project last year enabled USABC to provide regular updates to members on the bilateral reciprocal tariff talks between the administration and ASEAN governments and also influence the outcomes in the final deals by advocating that the priority tariff and non-tariff barriers of members be addressed. This year’s TTWG special project will focus on the following issue areas: 1. Continue advocating for the inclusion of member’s priorities in deals still being negotiated (Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand); 2. Position Council members as a resource for the USG in monitoring the implementation of final Agreements on Reciprocal Tariffs (ARTs); 3. Track developments in U.S. trade policies (i.e. Sec. 232 & 301 tariffs) which can impact the commercial interests (supply chains) and the regional competitiveness of members in priority sectors (ICT, H&LS, Energy). Our trade team will disseminate a concept note on the 2026 TTWG to all members in Q1. Note, the work of the TTWG is in addition to our regular provision of trade policy related information products for members which U.S.-ASEAN trade relations, trade policy developments of ASEAN (as a region and individual nations) and increased thought leadership on ASEAN-China trade relations. There will be no sponsorship cost for this project, apart from support needed for events as they arise; instead, we are asking for members’ input and knowledge.
Bottom Line Podcast: Featuring Amb. Jose Manuel Romualdez of the Philippines
On January 22, I had the opportunity to sit down with Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez to discuss Manila’s ASEAN Chairship this year, including what success looks like, key priorities shaping the agenda, and areas of focus for the Chairship. Read the full transcript here, along with the episode which will be uploaded soon.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Business Roundtable with Vietnam MOIT Acting Minister Hung (Feb 2)
USABC will host an in-person business roundtable with H.E. Le Manh Hung, Acting Minister of Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, on Monday, February 2, 2026, from 1:00–2:00 p.m. at the Council’s Washington, D.C. office. Held on the margins of the Acting Minister’s visit to Washington for U.S.–Vietnam trade negotiations, the discussion will focus on Vietnam’s energy policy and strategic priorities, including energy security, PDP8 (energy plan) implementation, renewable and clean energy development, grid modernization, regulatory frameworks, and opportunities for U.S. investment and public-private cooperation, as well as broader economic priorities following Vietnam’s 14th Party Congress (Fully subscribed).
Briefing on 14th Party Congress in Vietnam (Feb 3)
On February 3 at 8:30 pm EST, CEO McFeeters and USABC’s Acting Regional Managing Director and Vietnam Chief Country Representative Vu Tu Thanh will hold a virtual briefing for any interested members on Vietnam’s 14th Party Congress (Jan 19-23), focusing on key results that impact USABC members’ interests.
From Farm to Table Workshop (Feb 3-4)
USABC will host the ASEAN Multi-Stakeholder Forum: Farm to Table Initiatives in Jakarta, Indonesia, during the first week of February, convening government, private sector, and regional stakeholders to strengthen ASEAN’s food and agriculture value chains. The two-day forum will focus on “At the Farm”—innovative, sustainable, and digital approaches in agriculture; Supply Chain—building smart, resilient, and traceable food systems; and “At the Table”—advancing nutrition, food safety, and consumer well-being. The initiative aims to foster cross-sector collaboration, align policies, share best practices, and support the implementation of ASEAN’s 2023 Action Plan on Sustainable Agriculture.
Members Briefing on Tariff Negotiation with Marc Mealy (Feb 5)
As a part of Marc Mealy's visit to Jakarta, the Council is hosting an in-person members briefing on tariff negotiations. This will be held on Thursday, February 5, 2026 from 14:00 to 15:15 WIB (GMT +7) at WeWork, Revenue Tower, SCBD. Register here.
ASEAN Secretariat Mission (Feb 10-11)
The Council is leading its 2026 ASEAN Secretariat Business Mission in Jakarta on February 10-11 at the Fairmont Hotel and ASEAN Secretariat. The Mission will provide in-depth engagement with the leadership of the ASEAN Secretariat, including two Deputy Secretaries-General, and relevant directorates, to discuss ASEAN’s 2026 priorities, review USABC’s programs, and explore public-private collaboration across trade facilitation, digital economy, SMEs, financial services, transport, energy, food and agriculture, tourism, circular economy, and health. For more information contact Handy Santoso (hsantoso@usasean.org).
COUNCIL IN THE NEWS
I was interviewed by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on January 21, see below:
USABC commits to supporting Vietnam’s pursuit of double-digit growth
Coverage from our business mission to the 29th ASEAN Tourism Ministers’ Meeting:
Philippines boosts tourism with ASEAN Forum (Daily Tribune)
