US-ASEAN Business Council

08/14/2026

On August 10th, a delegation from the Việt Nam’s National Steering Committee 515 met with researchers from the US funded program - Việt Nam War Accounting Initiative (VWAI)- in Washington to deepen cooperation to locate and identify the remains of missing and fallen Vietnamese soldiers.

As a proud partner, the US‑ASEAN Business Council Institute supports VWAI’s mission by mobilizing private‑sector resources, technology, and training to accelerate this humanitarian work.

From sharing historical data, DNA capacity building to strengthening field investigations, this collaboration reflects a shared commitment to reconciliation, security, and regional stability across ASEAN.

Read: https://vovworld.vn/spotlight/us-reaffirms-support-for-vietnams-search-for-fallen-soldiers-remains-%E2%80%A6

For more information on VWAI, please contact Chuck Casey ([email protected])

VOV5.VN - THE VOICE OF VIETNAM - VOV World

08/11/2026

On August 8, the US-ASEAN Business Council attended the 59th ASEAN Day Commemoration at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta. Held under the theme "Navigating Our Future, Together," this marked USABC's first participation in the celebration as part of the ASEAN Entities. During the program, USABC reaffirmed its commitment to advancing cross-border trade, digital integration, and sustainable economic growth across the region.

USABC was joined by ASEAN Secretary-General H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN Hon. Kevin Kim, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General Nararya Soeprapto, Director of ASEAN External Relations at Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bapak Sade Bimantara, and other ASEAN stakeholders.

08/05/2026

On August 4, USABC hosted a roundtable in Kuala Lumpur with U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN, Kevin Kim, during his visit to Malaysia, joined by the U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur’s Chargé d’Affaires David “Chip” Gamble. The discussion spanned a broad range of priorities including food security, financial services, platform governance, reciprocal trade, tech sovereignty, and ASEAN centrality. The engagement highlighted the close coordination between USABC, the U.S. Mission to ASEAN (USASEAN), and the U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur in advancing shared goals for ASEAN’s economic growth and regional integration.

08/04/2026

Everyone wants the U.S. race car. Who's willing to wait for it? On this month's episode of Bottom Line with USABC, President & CEO Amb. Brian McFeeters sits down with Lindsey Ford, Adjunct Senior Fellow, Indo-Pacific Security Program at Center for New American Security (CNAS), Vice President, Beacon Global Strategies, to discuss the state of play for U.S. defense & aerospace opportunities across Southeast Asia, from Singapore to the Philippines' fast-rising potential, and why the rest of the world won't be sitting this one out.
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLZF57m-Evs

08/04/2026

On August 3, USABC hosted the Director General for American and European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, Grata E. Werdaningtyas, and her team for a discussion on developments in U.S. trade policy, DEFA, Section 301 investigations, the green economy, and U.S.–ASEAN business cooperation. USABC's Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer, Marc Mealy, also shared updates on U.S.-Indonesia business relations. USABC thanks the Indonesia MOFA for the insightful conversation.

08/03/2026

Connect with us through our upcoming programs and engagements as we continue to deepen commercial relations between the United States and ASEAN. Members can learn more and register here:
https://lnkd.in/gyZyfjbS

08/03/2026

"It's a borderless world on the digital side, so if you construct borders you cut yourselves off." That's the tension at the heart of ASEAN's trade deals with the US: tariffs are moving forward, but data localization rules could be the next chokepoint in the digital economy. USABC President and CEO Brian McFeeters spoke with Nikkei Asia on the current state of U.S.-ASEAN ART implementation and why data storage rules may be the harder line to negotiate. Read:

Some commitments continue despite frustration over agreement terms

07/31/2026

📣 We're hiring at our Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta offices!

• Country Representative - Malaysia and Brunei (Kuala Lumpur)
• Manager - Indonesia (Jakarta)

The US-ASEAN Business Council is hiring a Country Representative focused on and , and a Manager focused on . These full-time, hybrid openings are great opportunities for professionals looking to advance U.S.-Southeast Asian economic relations by working at the intersection of business and public policy.

To learn more and apply, please visit our career site:
Country Representative - Malaysia and Brunei: https://careers.usasean.org/jobs/8151796-country-representative-malaysia-and-brunei-kuala-lumpur

Manager - Indonesia: https://careers.usasean.org/jobs/8140043-manager-indonesia-jakarta

07/31/2026

From July 29–30, the US-ASEAN Business Council led a delegation of leading U.S. agri-businesses to Hanoi for its 2026 Food & Agriculture Industry Mission to , held under the theme "Partnering for a Greener Future: Driving Innovation and Resilience in Vietnam’s Agri-Food Sector.”

Led by USABC’s Acting Regional Managing Director and Chief Country Representative of Vietnam, Vu Tu Thanh, the delegation met with the Vice Minister of Agriculture and Environment and high-level officials from the Government of Vietnam, including representatives from the Ministries of Health, Industry and Trade, Science and Technology, and Finance, as well as the National Assembly. The delegation also met with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration delegation and the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi.

Discussions focused on concrete avenues to deepen collaboration in support of Vietnam's agricultural modernization and sustainability agenda — including strengthening domestic production capacity and supply chain efficiency, encouraging a transparent, predictable, and streamlined regulatory environment, and expanding market access to deepen Vietnam's integration into sustainable global food value chains.

We thank the Government of Vietnam and our participating member companies for a productive two days in Hanoi.

07/31/2026

On July 30, USABC convened a business roundtable in Washington, D.C., under the theme "Powering Southeast Asia's Future: Energy Security, Resilience, and New Demand in the AI Era."

The discussion brought together experts from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), and representatives from the Embassies of Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines for a candid exchange on one of the region's most pressing challenges.

Amidst ongoing disruptions in global energy markets, participants discussed the challenges and opportunities facing Southeast Asia's energy future. Topics included energy diversification across LNG, natural gas, coal, nuclear, and renewable energy; critical energy infrastructure development; supply reliability; strategic investments; and opportunities for deeper collaboration among ASEAN, Japan, the United States, and industry stakeholders.

USABC hopes to serve as a bridge for continued discussion and collaboration to support Southeast Asia's evolving energy future.