Dear members,
Greetings from the Council! We’ve had a busy month of missions, workshops, and roundtables, and we’re excited to share our many activities here.
At the halfway point in the Trump administration's 90-day pause on implementing reciprocal tariffs, discussions with ASEAN governments are at various stages. In addition to our individual engagement efforts with ASEAN ambassadors and ministers, the Council has transmitted recommendations from member companies to both sides of the negotiations. Progress has been made with some ASEAN governments through commercial deals and greater U.S. private sector engagement. However, the U.S. government’s economic security proposals and unwillingness to negotiate tariffs below 10 percent remain major obstacles to reciprocal trade deals.
This month, we were pleased to lead a delegation of senior executives from 22 major U.S. companies to Kuala Lumpur for our annual Business Mission to Malaysia. The mission—headed by our Regional Managing Director and Senior Vice President Ambassador Brian McFeeters (ret.), IBM’s Stephen Braim, and the Council’s Tina Jamaluddin—coincided with Malaysia’s chairmanship of ASEAN this year. Delegates engaged in high-level meetings with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, his cabinet, and East Malaysian officials to discuss strengthening U.S.-Malaysia economic ties, navigating global challenges, and advancing public-private collaboration in the digital, supply chain, and renewable energy sectors.
Shortly following the Malaysia Business Mission, Ambassador McFeeters led a delegation of 10 U.S. companies on our Food & Agriculture Industry Mission to Indonesia. In Jakarta, our member companies met with officials from the Coordinating Ministry of Food Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Environment, among other departments. The delegation discussed issues relating to sustainable agriculture, biotechnology development, and nutrition, exploring opportunities with the Government of Indonesia to advance its food and agriculture sector.
In Jakarta, we also hosted our inaugural Aerospace, Defense, and Security (ADS) Workshop, featuring senior officials from the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Transportation, the National Army, and State-Owned Enterprises. Among the events was a keynote lunch with Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia Andrew Byers and Minister of Defense of Indonesia Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin. Key topics of discussion included revitalizing strategic ties and fostering defense and civilian aerospace industry collaboration.
More broadly, the Council considers tariff issues a key priority for 2025 and actively seeks engagement with all member companies to address these critical challenges. Our overarching goal in this period is to streamline member priorities, provide clarity amid uncertainty, and identify policy actions that directly benefit U.S. businesses and strengthen economic partnerships with ASEAN countries.
At the heart of this effort is the U.S. Tariffs and Trade Working Group (USABC TTWG)—a premier platform that positions member companies at the forefront of tariff advocacy. Launched on May 6, this special project is designed to give sponsoring members the opportunity to shape our approach in U.S. tariff-focused advocacy engagements, leverage meetings with ASEAN government negotiating teams, and interface with selected interlocutors in the U.S. Government. For sponsorship and more information, please contact Lilibeth Almonte-Arbez lalmonte@usasean.org, Hai Pham hpham@usasean.org, and Marc Mealy mmealy@usasean.org.
In this vein, we have been pleased to organize several events that focus on shifting trends in the global trade landscape, such as a joint event in Washington with Vriens & Partners on U.S. trade policy in Southeast Asia. The panel—which featured Hans Vriens, Ambassador William Heidt (ret.), Brasukra G. Sudjana, and Nazhif Yusoff—highlighted Southeast Asia’s perspectives on U.S. tariff policies, with a focus on the fast-growing economies of Indonesia and Malaysia.
The Council also collaborated with the US-ASEAN Center to organize the second iteration of the U.S.-ASEAN Business Leaders Series in Washington, which covered several trade-related issue areas. The engagement featured Chairman Tan Sri Nazir Razak from the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Malaysia as well as Chargé d’Affaires Syed Farizal Aminy Syed Mohamad and Minister (Economics) Syed Mohd Faizal Syed Mohd Dardin from the Embassy of Malaysia. Speakers highlighted the importance of intra-ASEAN economic relations and opportunities for the public and private sectors to advance inclusive, sustainable growth during Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship year.
We also hosted a roundtable and reception in Washington on Indonesia’s and India’s perspectives on “America First” trade policy, which brought together public and private sector voices to explore how both countries are navigating shifting U.S. trade dynamics. The event featured keynote remarks from Shaanti Shamdasani, CEO of Strategic ASEAN International Advocacy & Consultancy (SAIAC), and Harsha Vardhana Singh, former Deputy Director General of the WTO. The program highlighted the importance of open dialogue, bilateral negotiation, and regional integration efforts, including updates on the ongoing review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA).
We’ve also maintained our high-level engagements with delegations visiting Washington for trade negotiations. We hosted a roundtable with Lieutenant General Pham The Tung, Deputy Minister of Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security, which was part of the Government of Vietnam’s trade negotiation delegation. The roundtable brought together leading U.S. companies to present a wide range of solutions across sectors including defense, aerospace, advanced robotics, environmental monitoring, public safety, energy, financial services, and strategic consulting.
The Council has prioritized our work in the field of cyberspace and the digital economy, sectors that will prove crucial to development in the region. At RSA Conference 2025 in San Francisco—attended by over 40,000 cybersecurity professionals—the Council co-hosted a closed-door roundtable with Cisco, featuring Deputy Assistant Secretary Liesyl Franz from the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy. The discussion focused on U.S. cyber diplomacy and engagement with ASEAN and included participation from the Philippine and Vietnamese consulates. Looking ahead, the Council plans to return to RSA in 2026 to further elevate the public-private cyber policy dialogue. Please contact Andrew Koch at akoch@usasean.org with any questions.
We were also pleased to organize multiple engagements with Ambassador Steve Lang, U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy. Council members engaged with Ambassador Lang in Jakarta and Singapore, as well as during the Joint Cyber Security Working Group (JCSWG) Meeting with the U.S. Embassy in Singapore. Ambassador Lang emphasized the U.S. Government's continued commitment to advancing shared goals under the U.S.-ASEAN Digital Workplan and encouraged relevant stakeholders to view U.S. companies as partners of choice.
Looking ahead to June, we’re excited to be leading our Business Mission to the ASEAN Directors-General of Customs Meeting in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. We’ll also be taking a small delegation of current U.S. Ambassadors to Southeast Asia on a tour of member company facilities in the United States. On July 10, the Council will hold its regional Board of Directors Meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the normalization of U.S-Vietnam relations. The Council remains grateful for the Board Directors' continued leadership and guidance in an evolving trade landscape.
I look forward to seeing you at one of our many upcoming programs.
Best regards,
Ted
EXPERT SPOTLIGHT: WENDY CUTLER
On May 15, the Council’s President and CEO Ambassador Ted Osius (ret.) had the pleasure of sitting down for a discussion with Wendy Cutler, Vice President at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) and managing director of ASPI’s Washington, D.C. office. She spent nearly three decades as a diplomat and negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), where she also served as Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative. At USTR, she worked on a range of bilateral, regional, and multilateral trade negotiations and initiatives, including the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, U.S.-China negotiations, and the WTO Financial Services negotiations.
In their discussion, Ambassador Osius and Wendy Cutler discuss the USTR’s role during current trade negotiations, the evolution of the agency over the last decade, the impact of tariffs on U.S. businesses in Southeast Asia, and what ASEAN countries should be learning from recent U.S. trade deals. Read the interview here.
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
On May 16, the US-ASEAN Business Council informed members of an adjustment of our membership dues to ensure the Council’s long-term sustainability and effectiveness. Informed and approved by the Council’s Finance and Risk Management Committee on behalf of its Board of Directors, the price adjustment will allow the Council to invest in staff capacity and retention; enhance member programming; improve IT systems; and strengthen the Council’s resilience. For questions on this update, please contact the Council’s Membership Directors, Sarah Lessing (slessing@usasean.org) and Andrew Koch (akoch@usasean.org).
UPCOMING EVENTS
The Council will hold its annual Customs Business Mission from June 3 to 4 in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. The mission will be conducted on the sidelines of the 34th ASEAN Directors-General of Customs Meeting and will facilitate meetings with the customs directors general from priority ASEAN member states, ASEAN Secretariat officials, and customs officials from ASEAN Dialogue Partners and the World Customs Organization (WCO). For additional information, please contact Angelica Ortega (aortega@usasean.org) and Bella Afifa (safifa@usasean.org).
From June 3 to 4, the Council and the Stimson Center will co-host the 10th Track 1.5 Dialogue on Food and Agriculture Trade and Investment in Jakarta, Indonesia. Convening over 80 participants across the public and private sectors, the Dialogue will allow stakeholders to exchange best practices on key topics such as agritech and innovation, animal health, and sustainable agriculture. The Council’s member companies and staff will be among speakers featured at the Dialogue. For more information, please contact Hai Pham (hpham@usasean.org) or Robin Huang (rhuang@usasean.org).
In June, the Council will convene an in-country workshop in Indonesia on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA). The workshop will gather Indonesia’s DEFA negotiators and relevant line agencies for a productive discussion on key provisions essential to the agreement’s effective implementation. Building on the Council’s strong support for DEFA’s development in 2024, this workshop reflects the Council’s continued commitment to bolster ASEAN in finalizing and operationalizing a high-standard, commercially meaningful DEFA. For more information, contact Reihan Ihza Farial (rfarial@usasean.org).
Following the Council’s 2025 U.S. Ambassadors’ Tour, the Council will hold a working lunch on June 20 that will recognize members of the Ambassadors’ Tour delegation, high-level appointees in the U.S. government, ASEAN ambassadors and officials, and former diplomats for their work to strengthen ties between the United States and the Asia-Pacific. For questions on the event, please contact Pimploy Vivatanpaiboonlap (pimploy@usasean.org) or Robin Huang (rhuang@usasean.org).
From July 8 to 10, the Council’s Financial Services Committee will hold its Mission to Indonesia. This year’s mission, which will take place in Jakarta, will focus on Indonesia’s fast-growing financial services sector, including digital payment, fintech, insurance, digital assets, fraud issues in financial services, cross-border financial data, and the development of capital markets. The preliminary format for this year’s mission includes engagements with key financial services stakeholders such the Financial Services Authority (OJK), Bank Indonesia, the ASEAN Secretariat, and others. For questions about the mission, please contact Christine Wan (cwan@usasean.org) and Bella Afifa (safifa@usasean.org).
The Council is pleased to open registration for senior-level executives to join the annual Singapore Business Mission, taking place from July 15 to 17. This year’s business mission aims to leverage Singapore’s strategic position amid global trade shifts, with a focus on engaging Singapore’s leadership during SG60, responding to evolving global trade dynamics, promoting regional stability, and championing business-driven sustainability. Interested members may register for the mission here or contact Angelica Ortega (aortega@usasean.org).
COUNCIL IN THE NEWS
Long arc of reconciliation between U.S. and Vietnam falters under Trump - Washington Post
Vietnam Used to Be a Safe Haven for Trade. Now It Might Not Be. - New York Times
Trump's Tariff Threatens Indonesia's Labor-Intensive Industries, 1.2 Million Jobs at Risk - Tempo
DTI chief meets US semicon firms to boost PH electronics industry - Philippine News Agency
Kadin: Garment And Shoes Exports To The US Can Absorb 200 Thousand Workers - VOI
US chip firms being pitched on expanding PHL footprint - BusinessWorld
Chinese companies offering "origin washing" services to avoid tariffs - ABC News
Trump blinked in trade war with China. Can South-east Asia get a break, too? - The Straits Times
Vietnam hopes for progress in US-China trade negotiations: PM - TheInvestor.vn
More and more female students are interested in technology - Vietnam.vn
Admissions fair for Science and Technology majors - Vietnam.vn
US-ASEAN Business Council pay courtesy visit to Anwar - theSun
Cambodia tariff negotiation team pursue US investment - The Phnom Penh Post
