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(Singapore) – The US-ASEAN Business Council participated in the 31st Meeting of the ASEAN Directors-General of Customs. For over 26 years, this engagement has served as the centerpiece of the US-ABC Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee’s efforts to support a more integrated and prosperous ASEAN.
The US-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC) fully supports the extension of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Moratorium on Customs Duties on Electronic Transmissions, and we suggest WTO members, which include all ASEAN Member States, examine a prohibition on these items. First agreed to in 1998, the Moratorium has never been made permanent and legally binding but has been renewed several times at the biennial WTO Ministerial Conferences. The current Moratorium will expire unless renewed at the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in June 2022.
(Jakarta) – On May 31st, the US-ASEAN Business Council (the Council), in partnership with the Indonesian Ministry of Cooperatives & SMEs, Indonesian Ministry of Communications & Informatics, Central Bank of Indonesia, and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN), conducted a webinar for Indonesian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The event was part of the Council’s SME Webinar Series: Rebuilding the ASEAN Economy, which aims to help ASEAN SMEs recover stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic through digitalization. More than 310 Indonesian SMEs participated in the webinar titled “Advancing Digital Inclusion for Indonesian SMEs.”
From 23 May through 25 May 2022, the US-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC) was proud to host a series of in-person dialogues with senior officials in the Singaporean Government and American business leaders during its 2022 Singapore Business Mission. The 2022 mission marked the first Singapore mission to be conducted in person since 2019. This year’s delegation of 33 U.S. firms, the largest ever during a Singapore mission, was led by US-ABC Senior Vice President & Regional Managing Director Amb. Michael Michalak, and US-ABC’s Singapore Committee Chair Oracle, represented by Matis Pellerin, Vice President of Global Government Affairs and Horng Shya Chua, Country Managing Director Singapore.
(Washington, DC) – The US-ASEAN Business Council congratulates the United States and twelve other Indo-Pacific countries, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, on launching the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF).
“With seven ASEAN member states in tow, the Biden-Harris administration has demonstrated its commitment to an inclusive and high-standard Indo-Pacific economic policy,” said US-ASEAN Business Council President & CEO Ambassador Ted Osius. “We hope these negotiations will yield effective commitments to expand trade, create more resilient supply chains, and craft a meaningful climate agenda to benefit workers, businesses, and consumers on both sides of the Pacific.
The event featured key stakeholders from the U.S. government – such as U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Change John Kerry, and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai – ASEAN heads of state, and an assortment of USABC member companies. Participants had the opportunity to discuss key economic challenges, particularly the region’s transition to green energy, blossoming digital economy, and support for SMEs and women entrepreneurs.
(Phnom Penh) - On May 4-5, a delegation of 13 leading U.S. companies organized by the US-ASEAN Business Council arrived in Phnom Penh to engage with high-level Cambodian government officials and other stakeholders on expanding U.S.- Cambodia trade and investment ties. The delegation was led by Ambassador Michael Michalak, Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director of the US-ASEAN Business Council, and William G. Lafferrandre, Senior Business Development Advisor of ConocoPhillips, Chair of the Council’s Cambodia Committee.
(Washington, DC) – The US-ASEAN Business Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce offer their strong support for the upcoming U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit in Washington, DC from May 12-13, 2022.
“Trade should not be a bad word in American politics – when done right, it’s how we make U.S. workers, farmers, and small businesses more competitive on the world stage,” said US-ASEAN Business Council President & CEO Ambassador Ted Osius. “Both the American business community and Members of Congress know that U.S. leadership on trade is needed now more than ever, especially in the Indo-Pacific. We thank Representative Carol Miller and Representative Stephanie Murphy for spearheading this important issue.”
Themed “Adapt, Upskill, Excel: Building ASEAN SMEs’ Resilience with the ASEAN SME Academy 2.0,” the launch is the climax of a revamp project that began in 2021, aimed to introduce and publicise the upgrades and new features of the ASEAN SME Academy 2.0 website. The hybrid launch was hosted in the Philippine Trade Training Center Hall in Manila and live streamed via Zoom Webinar, YouTube, and Facebook to audiences across Southeast Asia.