About Us

The US-ASEAN Business Council Inc. (Council) was established in 1984 as a non-profit organization. On behalf of its members, the Council conducts research and analysis of economic, environmental, financial, political, and social, conditions in the eleven countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam comprise the eleven nations of ASEAN. 

I write from Jakarta, where VP Mario Masaya and I, along with Citi President Batara, just finished leading our annual Indonesia Business Mission, featuring 21 high-level meetings and a dinner with Danantara CIO Pandu Sjahrir. The looming MSCI downgrade of Indonesia’s market status is getting lots of media attention, but the conversations we had were about continuing and growing USABC members’ solid investment and trade presence in ASEAN’s largest market, whose annual growth is expected to be close to 5% this year. As this newsletter details, our teams in the region and in DC are extremely active covering issues that matter for members: AI, cybersecurity, energy, financial issues, customs modernization, agribusiness, and more. We are also engaging with new U.S. ambassadors going to the region and new ministers and other senior officials in the region.

Our Board is composed of a diverse and balanced group of leaders who possess the independence and expertise necessary to fulfill their governance roles on behalf of the members of the US-ASEAN Business Council. The Council's Corporate Governance Principles and committee charters are aligned with best practices and regulatory expectations, building upon a longstanding foundation of governance principles adhered to by the Council and its antecedents. The Board acknowledges the dynamic nature of governance principles and commits to periodically reassessing these principles in response to evolving circumstances and the unique challenges of fostering US-ASEAN business relations.

Join us at the US-ASEAN Business Council: Where opportunities meet expertise to shape the future of trade and commerce in Southeast Asia.