USTR Meetings. At meetings in Hanoi, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Dawn Shackleford acknowledged the current lack of interest by the Administration or Congress in CPTPP, but noted the Biden Administration’s interest in establishing an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, as announced at the East Asia Summit in late October. The nature of the Framework was still being discussed, but it could include provisions on trade facilitation, standards for the digital economy and technology, supply chain resiliency, decarbonization and clean energy, infrastructure, worker standards, and other areas of shared interest. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/10/27/readout-of-president-bidens-participation-in-the-east-asia-summit/. She took on board industry concerns about digital economy regulations, welcomed continued comments, and shared plans for an upcoming meeting of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement to discuss trade and investment issues more broadly, likely in early 2022.

COP 26. While we were meeting in Hanoi, Prime Minister and President Biden met at a COP26 meetings and committed to strengthen collaboration to combat climate change. President Biden welcomed PM Chinh’s announcement of Vietnam target of net zero emissions by 2050, and the two leaders committed to strengthen the comprehensive partnership, including cooperation on climate issues.

Participants enjoyed fascinating insights and conversations after at AmCham’s “Empowering Women at the Workplace” event, featuring Standard Chartered Vietnam Michele Wee; KPMG Vietnam Warrick Cleine; Intel Products Vietnam Uyen Cao; and Sun Flower Media Tran Nguyen Thien Huong (aka Venus Tran) by Moderator, Women in Leadership Committee Co-Chair and LightPath Consulting Group Irene Öhler. We were delighted to see so many other women leaders (CEOs and future CEOs) and male allies join us both at The Reverie Saigon (if fully vaxed) and online at our first post-lockdown in-person event!

2021 Board of Governor Elections. Please click the LINK to see our impressive slate of candidates for the 2022-23 term, together with their biographic information and “Vision for AmCham.” Nine governors will be elected in on-line secure voting starting on November 9.

Register Now for our Meet the Candidates Night on Thursday, November 11 from 6PM. All AmCham members are invited to join us in-person at Cocotte Restaurant’s Sila Tower beautiful indoor-outdoor venue in D3 or virtually to hear the vision statements of each of our candidates for the 2021 Board of Governors election in HCMC – and to network with long-lost friends and colleagues! Save the Date – election results will be announced at our Annual General Meeting on Thursday, December 9, starting at 6PM at the New World Hotel.

Call for Applications for 2021 AmCham CARES Awards - COVID Relief and Recovery. To honor and recognize AmCham members who made significant contributions, AmCham Vietnam is seeking applications from member companies/organizations interested in being considered for the 2021 AmCham CARES Awards for COVID Relief & Recovery. All interested AmCham member companies and organizations are encouraged to apply. To apply, please review the Awards Information and Entry Brief and fill out the Application form in full by Monday, November 15, 2021. LINK

Register for the 2^nd annual AmCham Vietnam Giving Thanks Dinner on Thursday, December 2, 2021, at The Reverie Saigon, where AmCham Vietnam will present the awards. The Giving Thanks Dinner will take place as a Level III** event, subject to capacity limits in effect at that time (which we expect to be expanded). Senior U.S. and Vietnamese government officials and members of the media will also be invited. LINK

Committee Leaders and Board Members Joint Virtual Meeting on Tuesday, November 9, from 4:30-5:45 PM. If you are a Board member or Committee leader, you should already have received an invitation to our Tuesday meeting. If you are interested in serving in a Committee leadership role, you are also welcome to join. AmCham’s Committees are the core of our organization and where most of our members most actively connect for professional networking, business intelligence, and advocacy. This meeting will share best practices for leading committees and preparing for smooth leadership transitions, featuring several of our committee leaders. Please contact Committees Manager Lily Nguyen at lily.nguyen@amchamvietnam.com if you are interested in joining. 

Please join us the webinar on Providing Access to Remedy in Viet Nam Supply Chains on November 10 at 2:30PM. As part of the Responsible Supply Chains in Asia Programme, the OECD Centre for Responsible Business Conduct, in collaboration with EuroCham, AmCham, BritCham and AusCham, is holding a series of webinars promoting responsible business conduct in Vietnamese supply chains. The second webinar of the series “Providing Access to Remedy in Viet Nam Supply Chains” is bringing together experts, policymakers, business and CSOs to discuss how providing effective access to remedy can help strengthen resilience in supply chains by ensuring continuity and building trust.

Committee Meetings. Committee meetings are now open to both in-person (for full vaxed) and virtual participation. Please register in advance. All AmCham members are welcome to join our Energy Committee Meeting on Tuesday, November 9 at 3PM, with guest speaker (Ørsted)'s Vietnam Country Representative Sebastian Hald Buhl, who will present current market and development of Wind Projects in Vietnam.

Members are also welcome to join our Legal and VBF Liaison Committee Meeting on Wednesday, November 10 at 5PM; our Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Committee Meeting on Thursday, November 11 at 4PM; and our Manufacturing Committee Meeting on Friday, November 12 at 8:30AM.

We have already raised over $5000. Can we raise $6000 or maybe $7000 by November 12? Please CLICK NOW AND SAVE TEN LIVES!  You can buy an eBook for yourself, or as gifts for family members, friends, and colleagues. Reopening of many of our favorite restaurants finally is underway in HCMC, but many of its residents, our neighbors, are still struggling to find enough to eat. Join hands with AmCham CARES, support those in need, and be inspired with Recipes for Revival from ten of Vietnam's top tastemakers!! With a donation of just 350,000 VND or increments of 350,000 VND if you want to contribute more, you will receive a link to download our special eBook “RECIPES FOR REVIVAL, Inspired by Vietnam's Top Tastemakers", including: Layla and Summer Experiment's Jay Moir; The Ox Not Only the Ox's Ngo Thanh Hoa; Quince's Julien Perraudin; Le Corto and P'ti's Sakal Phoeung, ANAN and NHAU NHAU's Peter Cuong Franklin; TUNG Dining's Hoang Tung, Master Chef Jack Lee, Chill Sky Bar and Vigor Dining's Emilio Moscati; Ivoire's Kasey Doan, and Maison Marou's Stephanie Aubriot.

Although Vietnam’s impressive vaccine rollout has resulted in a significant drop in hospitalizations and deaths, COVID and related business have caused extreme hardship for many Vietnamese people, especially disadvantaged groups such as migrants and informal workers. We know many of AmCham’s members and friends want to help, but don’t know how best to do so. In addition to contributing directly via AmCham CARES to donate critically-needed medical equipment to support the Vietnamese government, we provide information below about various AmCham INGO members’ COVID-19 relief programs in Vietnam, as well as links to some local NGOs vetted and supported by LIN. LINK. We are happy to highlight COVID-or other CSR-related contributions from our member companies on our social media. Please email details, including photos, to Cindy Tran.  

AmCham Membership Renewal. It’s that time of year to renew your AmCham membership for 2022! We have begun sending out our renewal notices. Our AmCham team has been working harder than ever this year to deliver value and support you, our members, during these challenging times, particularly through our Committees, Business Intelligence events, and Advocacy. We look forward to your continued support, and welcome new members. As you join or renew your membership, please consider becoming a Premium Member. Premium 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 discounts, benefits, and exclusive VIP access. Customized packages are available. To learn more, see LINK or contact Office Manager Cindy Tran at cindy.tran@amchamvietnam.com.

We welcome your feedback at team@amchamvietnam.com to let us know how we can serve you better. We wish you a safe and healthy week ahead! Mary

For more information, LINK (to COVID page).

We continue to focus our advocacy on partnering with the Government at the Central and provincial-level to enable a safe reopening, economic recovery, and sustainable growth. We know that many provinces have also issued a multitude of directives and dispatches to guide reopening and welcome your feedback on their effectiveness. Based on member concerns, we sent the Binh Duong People’s Committee recommendations on November 6 for treatment of F0 and F1 cases. Please send your feedback on what is working, what issues remain, and recommended solutions to relevant Committee Chairs, advocacyaction@amchamvietnam.com, and our Manufacturing Task Force, at  MFGTF@amchamvietnam.com. We are particularly interested in how reopening is going in the Southern Economic Region: HCMC, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Long An, BRVT plus. We welcome good news, too!! 

We also are seeking feedback on Customs issues for a November 15^th Vietnam Business Forum (VBF) meeting with the General Directorate of Customs, as well as comments to VBF by November 10 to share with the Ministry of Public Security on the draft Draft Decree stipulating penalties for administrative violations in the field of cybersecurity. We are finalizing comments by noon Tues, Nov 9. If you want to provide comments we have not yet received, please contact  Committees Manager Lily Nguyen at lily.nguyen@amchamvietnam.com. See LINK for this week’s report. 

November 9: Energy Committee Meeting

November 10: Legal & VBF Liaison Committee Meeting

November 11: Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Committee Meeting

November 12: 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.