US-ASEAN Business Council

On November 21, the US-ASEAN Business Council hosted a roundtable luncheon in Washington, D.C. in honor of H.E. Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs of Indonesia. The luncheon gathered officials from the Governments of the United States, Indonesia, and other ASEAN member states; private sector executives; and representatives from the multilateral and academic sectors. ? In his keynote remarks, Minister Airlangga highlighted Indonesia’s impressive growth over the last decade and cited the Prabowo administration’s goals to achieve eight percent growth while maintaining low inflation. He also shared the new administration’s objectives to become a hub for renewable energy—including hydropower, wind, and solar—in addition to exploring carbon capture and storage to achieve Indonesia’s net zero goals. Moreover, Minister Airlangga discussed boosting capacity for the country’s nickel and steel exports by the end of next year.?? ? The roundtable was generously sponsored by bp, Freeport-McMoRan, and ExxonMobil.??

In the latest Asian Insider podcast, US-ASEAN Business Council President & CEO Ted Osius, Ambassador (ret.) joins The Straits Times’ Nirmal Ghosh to unpack how ASEAN is preparing for trade under the Trump administration. Despite concerns about protectionist measures against countries that have trade surpluses with the United States, Ambassador Osius highlights Southeast Asia’s resilience, growing investment appeal, and opportunities in AI, semiconductors, and digital commerce. Listen to the podcast here: https://lnkd.in/gTy7QceF

In an article published by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguy?n Hoàng Long led the Vietnamese delegation in bilateral meetings with the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) and USAID on the sidelines of the 5th Vietnam-U.S. Energy Security Dialogue in Washington, D.C. Discussions centered on U.S. companies’ commitments to clean energy development in Vietnam, advanced technologies such as offshore wind and hydrogen power, and strategies to enhance private sector investment in Vietnam's energy market. The meetings also addressed challenges and pathways to achieving Vietnam’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) goals and net-zero emissions by 2050. Read the full article (in Vietnamese) here: https://lnkd.in/gKTjrjtq

Led by Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director Ambassador Brian McFeeters, the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) recently engaged with key Philippine government agencies to advance energy and sustainability partnerships. On November 15, the Council met with Undersecretary Rowena Cristina L. Guevara of the Department of Energy Philippines to discuss the DOE’s renewable energy roadmap, ongoing investment projects, and USABC member companies’ energy transition initiatives. Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to accelerating the Philippines' renewable energy goals.? ? On November 19, the Council held discussions with senior officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), including Undersecretaries JUAN MIGUEL CUNA, Ignatius Loyola Rodriguez, and Joselin Marcus Fragada. The meeting focused on ASEAN and Philippine sustainability priorities and explored opportunities to strengthen the existing Memorandum of Understanding between USABC and DENR, underscoring both parties’ dedication to advancing environmental collaboration.

On November 13, the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC), led by Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director Ambassador Brian McFeeters, engaged in high-level discussions with key Philippine government officials to strengthen economic collaboration. The Council met with Department of Finance Philippines (DOF) Secretary Ralph Recto to discuss the Philippines’ new revenue and investment reform laws, including the CREATE MORE Act and the Value-Added Tax on Digital Services Act, alongside initiatives for digital transformation. Secretary Recto encouraged the Council to explore investment opportunities in strategic sectors such as renewable energy, defense, and data centers. ? On the same day, the Council also met with Assistant Secretary Kristine Joy Diaz-Teston of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs. The meeting highlighted the Council’s priority advocacies and upcoming events in the Philippines while exploring avenues to strengthen collaboration with the Office. Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to continuing and enhancing their existing partnership to advance shared economic goals.

On November 14, the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC), in partnership with IBM, Google, and Amazon Web Services (AWS), and in collaboration with the Department of Information and Communications Technology - Philippines (DICT), hosted the 3rd Digital Transformation in Government Series workshop in the Philippines. The event brought together over?a record 120 attendees from 45 Philippine government agencies to address cybersecurity challenges?and the implementation of the National Cybersecurity Plan for 2023-2028. Technical sessions led by industry leaders focused on securing digital identity and information, safeguarding critical infrastructure, and adopting cloud security best practices. Key attendees include USABC Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director, Ambassador Brian McFeeters, Presidential Legislative Liaison Office Undersecretary Agapito Guanlao, DICT Undersecretary for Cybersecurity Jeffrey Ian D., and Budget and Management Undersecretary Maria Francesca Montes- Del Rosario, GICD, CIPM. The Council plans to expand the series for 2025 to further explore and address digital transformation issues and opportunities in the Philippines. Read the full press release here: https://prez.ly/bLXc

On November 15, the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) and the Philippines’ Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) signed an MOU to strengthen public-private collaboration in streamlining government processes and improving the ease of doing business. As an “ARTA Champion,” USABC will work closely with ARTA to address regulatory challenges, promote investments, and support the Philippines’ global competitiveness. This partnership underscores a shared commitment to advancing regulatory reforms and fostering an environment conducive to sustainable economic growth.

The Council had the honor of hosting H.E. Nguyen Hoang Long, Deputy Minister of Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), and his delegation on November 14th for a business roundtable with our member companies. This event was held on the sidelines of his visit to Washington, D.C. for the U.S.-Vietnam Energy Security Dialogue. ? The roundtable provided an excellent opportunity for members to engage directly with Deputy Minister Long, who was appointed this June to oversee Vietnam’s energy sector and economic relations with the Americas at the MOIT. ? Our companies engaged in lively discussions, showcasing how U.S. businesses can support Vietnam's goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. It was encouraging to hear Deputy Minister Long express Vietnam's openness to private sector involvement, with plans to create opportunities for investors in the energy sector. He highlighted Vietnam’s focus on power market development, energy conservation and efficiency, transmission, power storage, and emphasized offshore wind, battery storage, smart grid, hydrogen, and LNG as key areas for advancing green energy initiatives.

On behalf of the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) Board of Directors, members, and staff, USABC Chairman Jeffrey Perlman congratulated President-elect Donald J. Trump on his recent electoral victory. USABC looks forward to collaborating with the incoming Trump administration on issues related to Southeast Asia, a region that USABC and its 180 member companies have been dedicated to since 1984. Read the full press release here: https://prez.ly/4zXc

In a recent article on the Cabinet Secretariat of The Republic of Indonesia and a video by Voice of America (VOA) Indonesia, US-ASEAN Business Council President and CEO Ted Osius, Ambassador (ret.) remarked that "Indonesia has a president who is very pro-business, who warmly welcomed us, and who explained very clearly how he would welcome business with the U.S. and other countries." ? Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g3Wumn2u Watch the video here: https://lnkd.in/gQ-9evZ6