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(Jakarta)–The US-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC), the U.S. Government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) announced a plan to redesign the ASEAN SME Academy, an ongoing e-learning platform for micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Southeast Asia initially launched in 2016.
Managed by the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME) under the leadership of the Philippines Department of Trade and Industry — Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development (DTI-BSMED), the Academy features interactive online courses in finance, branding, marketing, trade, and technology to accelerate MSMEs’ growth and equip them for success in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Singapore) - One of the biggest threats facing young adults today is the risk of road crashes and injuries related to alcohol consumption. In the Asia Pacific region, road crashes claim the lives of 2,000 people each day; up to one-third of fatal road collisions involve alcohol as a contributing factor, and those at highest risk are young, dynamic, and promising individuals who are just getting started on building their future.
(Hanoi) - From March 10 to March 11, 2022, the US-ASEAN Business Council (the Council) led a delegation of 13 U.S. companies on the 2022 Health & Life Sciences Mission to Vietnam, directly following the 2022 Vietnam Business Mission. The Council's delegation met with government officials and key stakeholders across key ministries and agencies to discuss Vietnam’s healthcare system and COVID-19 recovery. The mission was co-led by the Council’s Senior Vice President & Regional Managing Director Ambassador Michael W. Michalak; and GE’s CEO and Chair of the Council’s Vietnam Committee Son Pham.
(Hanoi) - From March 7 to March 10, 2022, the US-ASEAN Business Council (the Council) led a delegation of 40 leading U.S. companies on the 2022 Vietnam Business Mission. The Council's delegation met with government officials and key stakeholders across several ministries and agencies to reinforce the Council's dedication to supporting Vietnam's COVID-19 economic recovery. During the Mission, the Council reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the implementation of Vietnam’s new Free Trade Agreements (FTAs); addressing key business challenges to improve the investment climate for American companies; and positioning the Council as a resource and partner to Vietnam in its public health response and economic recovery from COVID-19. This year, the Mission was conducted predominantly in person, coming at an opportune time as Vietnam begins to reopen its borders to international travelers.
(Washington, DC) – The US-ASEAN Business Council strongly supports the Biden-Harris administration’s announcement that the United States will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in 2023.
“I am extremely gratified to see that the U.S. bid to host APEC has finally been totally accepted,” said US-ABC Senior Vice President & Regional Managing Director Ambassador Michael Michalak. “During my time as APEC Ambassador, APEC proved itself to be an excellent neutral venue for discussing innovative and forward-looking trade concepts, such as the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP). It will be the perfect place to put forward concrete proposals to add to the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and make concrete progress towards meaningful digital trade frameworks.”
(Washington, DC) – The US-ASEAN Business Council strongly commends the Biden-Harris administration for developing and publishing a comprehensive U.S.-Indo-Pacific Strategy.
“The Biden-Harris administration has taken another strong step to signal the importance of the Indo-Pacific to America’s future,” said US-ASEAN Business Council President & CEO Ambassador Ted Osius. “U.S. leadership on trade must be priority number one in implementing this strategy. The American business community looks forward to working with the administration to build upon this strategy with concrete initiatives to advance economic and people-to-people ties across the Indo-Pacific.”
Manila) – The Board of Directors, members, and staff of the US-ASEAN Business Council offer their deepest condolences to the family of former Foreign Secretary Roberto “Bobby” Romulo on his passing.
Secretary Romulo was a stalwart friend of the Council, the U.S. business community, and the broader international trade and economic community. His long and prosperous career started with IBM in 1965. He joined the Philippine Government in 1989 as Ambassador to Belgium and then went on to serve as Secretary of Foreign Affairs from 1992-1995 during the Ramos Administration.