Transitions. I know many of us are saying goodbye to dear friends and colleagues and some of you are moving on to new positions. Or perhaps you are finally getting an opportunity to travel home to see friends and family after a multi-year COVID break. Or having your children home from university for the summer holidays. I have been so happy to have had both my daughters with me in Saigon for over a month. My older daughter returned to San Francisco Tuesday and her sister leaves Sunday. I am not ready for the empty nest! But at least I won’t be totally alone – I will have my dog, Pabu. (photo thanks to Sang Nguyen, aka Louis, a familiar face at our AmCham events). My advice is - take time to say those farewells and savor the time together!

On that note, please join us at our Connect & Cocktails in Da Nang and HCMC on June 24th and 29^th, respectively, and on July 2^nd for our AmCham Independence Day Celebration and Community Picnic and our July 7^th Farewell Dinner for U.S. Consul General Marie Damour!!

Manufacturing Alert - If you manufacture products in Vietnam for export to the United States, please see our Advocacy Report below for information about broad-sweeping new restrictions that went into effect on June 21, 2022 under the Uighur Forced Labor Prevention Act (ULFPA).

Do you have questions about how to get a U.S. business visas or what services are available to you at the U.S. Consulate as an American citizen?? Don’t rely on advice from a friend. Obtain accurate expert advice from U.S. Consulate officials by joining our Business Intelligence Briefing, Business Visas and other U.S. Consular Services TODAY, Thursday, June 23, 4:30-6:00PM, in-person at the Intercon with a follow-on networking reception, or virtually. U.S. Consulate Consular Chief Adrienne Harchik and the U.S. Consulate team will explain how to apply for visas for business travel to the United States and what to expect. Discussion will also cover other U.S. Consulate services, including student and tourism visas, notarial services, and passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad for U.S. Citizens. And if you are a U.S. citizen living in Vietnam, take this opportunity to register for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and make sure you are registered to vote in the upcoming November mid-term elections. This event is open both to AmCham members and friends, in-person and virtually. Register now at contact@amchamvietnam.com for this afternoon’s event! 

Don’t miss the biggest summer party in town – AmCham’s Independence Day Celebration and Community Picnic on Saturday, July 2^nd ! It’s as close as you can come to being in the USA in Vietnam! Tickets available to AmCham members and friends – Buy your tickets NOW!

And for members or friends who are in Da Nang on Friday, June 24, please join us the AmCham Vietnam - Da Nang Connect & Cocktails at Furama Resort Danang LINK from 6PM. And register now for our June 29 Connect & Cocktail at Hotel Des Arts Saigon LINK

June 28: Tourism and Hospitality Committee Meeting

Take Charge of Your Health and Wellness. AmCham members learned from a group of top healthcare experts, including Drs. Jane Li, Astrid Matarrita, Wade Brackenbury, and Ryu Trento how to prioritize our health and wellness, strengthen our immune systems, and thrive in challenging times.

AmCham’s June 16th Business Intelligence Event, Managing Ethical Supply Chains: Attracting and Retaining a Quality Workforce, demonstrated once again that ethical business practices are good business practices. And new app PAXU can help your employees learn English and financial literacy skills as well as educated about the realities of working abroad, helping prevent them from being vulnerable trafficking.

And thanks to Pacific Links and Walmart.org for sponsoring this valuable program!

AmCham Membership Renewal. Renew now to retain your membership benefits! If you haven’t already, make sure you renew your membership now to continue your involvement in AmCham, with opportunities for professional networking, business intelligence, advocacy to improve the business environment, and promotion of your business. Please renew promptly and consider upgrading to become Premium Members! If you haven’t yet received your renewal notice, please contact Membership Manager Sam Hoang. 

AmCham Premium Corporate Membership offers the opportunity for qualified companies to highlight your status as business leaders and your strategic support for AmCham Vietnam’s mission and programs. Premium Membership offers a range of benefits, and exclusive VIP access. Customized packages are available. To learn more, see LINK or contact Office Manager Cindy Tran. 

Thank you for your continued support – let us know how we can do better at team@amchamvietnam.com! Regards, Mary

Greetings from Da Nang! AmCham members, potential members, and friends, please register now for our June Connect and Cocktails at the Furama Resort Danang, Friday June 24th, starting at 6PM. LINK Catch up with old friends, expand your professional network, and learn more about the benefits of AmCham membership over drinks and canapés. We will celebrate Da Nang's reopening by showcasing a new Champagne – Delamotte from Red Apron. Look forward to seeing you there!

So proud to see our members Origin (Sunrise Potential Partners) & Indochina Mall (aka IndoChina Riverside Tower), working with Rotary International Danang to kick off a weekly Sunday Charity Fair! Each Sunday for the next two months, they will be collecting clothes, toys, and household items, as well as offering local vegetables, baked goods, and fresh juices for sale at the Charity Fair at Indochina Mall at very reasonable prices. Customers can also benefit by receiving gift vouchers for the Mall in 100 – 500,000 vnd that match the level of their purchase (5 mvnd total on offer). All proceeds will go to the Street Children of Danang Program, a longstanding institution that provides care through four orphanages in the city for children 6-18 years old. The program is hoping to raise 40 mvnd through this series of events to provide bicycles for the children for school. Any excess proceeds will be used for gifts for children suffering from cancer at the Danang General Hospital. The event takes place on the 1^st floor of Indochina Mall, 74 Bach Dang, every Sunday through the 14^th of August from 5 – 7 pm. Contributions can be delivered directly to the mall operations team anytime during opening hours. If you would like more information or would like to contribute via bank transfer please feel free to contact me directly! Chris.vanloon@riversidetowercenter.com.vn I hope we can all contribute to make this a special event and improve the lives of our city's most vulnerable. All the best.

USG/Uighur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Effective on June 21, 2022, new, broad-sweeping restrictions have been put into place in the United States to prevent the import of any product manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor from China, particularly the Xinjiang/Uighur region. These restrictions require high levels of transparency and traceability by exporters. Cotton, silicon, and tomatoes are among the many products produced in the Xinjiang region that could be found in manufacturing supply chains in Vietnam. We are working with AmCham’s Manufacturing and ESG Committees and the U.S. Mission to arrange a virtual briefing by relevant USG experts from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which is responsible for implementing these new restrictions. We will seek to hold this briefing in both EN and VN, in cooperation with local business associations, with participation open for our members, partner factories, suppliers, and others. Tentative dates (TBC) are 8AM on July 8^th or 12^th. Stay tuned.

The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (Public Law No. 117-78), also known as the UFLPA, directs the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force to develop a strategy for supporting enforcement of the prohibition on the importation of goods into the United States manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor in the People's Republic of China, especially from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, or Xinjiang. The UFLPA was enacted on December 23, 2021, with a June 21, 2022 effective date for a rebuttable presumption that goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in Xinjiang or by an entity on the UFLPA Entity List are prohibited from U.S. importation under 19 U.S.C. § 1307. CBP leads the implementation of the rebuttable presumption under the UFLPA, and more about implementation efforts can be found on the CBP UFLPA page. The FLETF strategy includes the UFLPA Entity List, Importer Guidance, and other information. https://www.dhs.gov/uflpa

USG/IPEF. AmCham Vietnam, together with several other AmChams in the region, signed on to a joint industry statement prepared by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council in support of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). The letter stressed the important role that the IPEF could play to forge more resilient global supply chains, high-standard digital rule-of-the-road, and energy transitions to promote greater prosperity on both sides of the Pacific.

AmChams of the Asia Pacific July Doorknock – sign up now for Waitlist. Registration for the AmChams of the Asia-Pacific (AAP) July 17-20 AAP Doorknock in Washington DC has now formally closed since the capacity of 50 has been reached – apparently the largest delegation ever and a good mix of MNCs, SMEs, and AmCham reps. However, some of those who registered have not yet paid the $1000 registration fee. Those that do not pay by June 30 will lose their seats so additional space may free up. If you think you may be interested, please register now for the waiting list. Feel free to contact Executive Director Mary Tarnowka if you have any questions about what the event entails. LINK. 

National/VBF. Thank you to all who contributed advocacy issues for the Vietnam Business Forum Technical Session with MPI. We regret that the Technical Session, originally scheduled for June 24^th, has been postponed. It is expected to take place in September, date TBD. Meanwhile, the Working Group position papers are being shared with MPI and relevant ministries and working-level discussions may take place in the interim. Stay tuned for future updates from 2022 AmCham VBF Representative Fred Burke. 

We welcome your feedback on these and other issues to ensure we are aware of your top concerns. This report and prior Advocacy Reports are available on AmCham’s Advocacy page. LINK. Please send your feedback on what is working, what issues remain, and recommended solutions to relevant Committee Chairs, advocacyaction@amchamvietnam.com

June 28: Tourism and Hospitality Committee Meeting

July 6: Education & Training Committee Meeting

July 8: Manufacturing Committee Meeting

Stay informed about key developments affecting your business by checking frequently – updated regularly on weekdays. On weekends, stay informed and connected through AmCham’s Facebook, Linked IN, and Instagram. LINK to our Key Media Updates.

At InterContinental Saigon and via Zoom

Tickets are now available for AmCham members and friends at the AmCham Vietnam Office. Click the button below to get your tickets. Your entrance ticket will include all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-drink, and entertainment with NOLA Blues Club with Special Guests Curtis King and Friends.

At The Reverie Saigon and via Zoom

InterContinental Saigon, Corner of Hai Ba Trung St. and Le Duan Blvd., Dist. 1

For more information, visit www.amchamAP.com