Don’t miss our pre-Tet Connect & Cocktail on Wednesday, January 26 at The Reverie Saigon Poolside! Come celebrate the end of the Year of the Ox and hopefully a much better Year of the Tiger in 2022! Join AmCham members and other professionals in a beautiful poolside terrace setting after-work over a glass of wine, beer, or a cocktail. Register Now!

LINK to Ambassador Knapper’s July confirmation hearing statement.

2022 AmCham Vietnam HCMC & Da Nang Board of Governors Strategy Session. There were lots of brainstorming and creative problem-solving ideas at AmCham Vietnam’s HCMC & Da Nang Board of Governors 2022 Strategy Session on January 22, facilitated by Doodle Designs Founder Chris Elkin. And the sunset view after at the Mia was a nice reward for an afternoon’s hard work. 

Binh Duong Meetings, Jan 18: AmCham Vietnam ties with Binh Duong Province are strong and growing. Binh Duong already represents the largest concentration of AmCham member companies outside of HCMC. Close coordination with local authorities has been key to the maintenance of manufacturing supply chains and rebound now underway. With its network of modern industrial parks, AmCham expects Binh Duong to remain a very attractive destination for FDI in Vietnam.

Labor markets have become more competitive and complex globally and here in Vietnam, due to the COVID pandemic, changing worker demands, and increasing digital transformation. AmCham Vietnam’s “Emerging Labour Market Trends & Employment Insights for 2022”, on January 20 featured an expert panel who discussed global, regional, and Vietnam-specific labor trends and insights, and how companies can adapt to recruit, retain, and train the talent they need.

Thanks to panelists Manpower Regional Brand Leader & Head of Regional Sales Sam Haggag; Manpower Vietnam Operations Manager Staffing & Outsourcing Services Nguyen Xuan Son; and Shopee Head of HR Tracy Trang Do for sharing for expertise and insights! More about Manpower’s recent survey at the LINK below. 

U.S. Mission Cyber Security Working Group. Many thanks to the U.S. Mission in Vietnam for including many AmCham members throughout the country at the inaugural meeting of its Joint Cyber Security Working Group on Friday, January 21. The initial event was kicked off by Charge D’Affaires Marie Damour, with Assistant Secretary (and former Ambassador to Vietnam) Dan Kritenbrink delivering opening remarks. Other speakers included Cisco’s Joshua McCloud on “Cyber Threats to Know in 2022” and Elizabeth Williams, from U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on “Protecting against cyber threats”, followed by a Q&A session. To be invited to future JSCWG sessions, please be sure to fill out this interest form: https://forms.office.com/g/dfGkfv1Rv4.  

Committee Meetings. Members are invited to join our Tourism and Hospitality Committee Meeting on Tuesday, January 25 at 11AM; and the Women in Leadership Committee Meeting on the same day, at 4:30PM. Please also plan to join our Healthcare Committee Meeting on Wednesday, January 26 at 4:15PM (and walk across the street after to our Connect & Cocktails)! 

Leadership Opportunities. Many committees are now soliciting interest from potential candidates interested in serving in leadership positions. Elections for most committees will take place in January or February. If you are interested in serving in a leadership role, please contact existing Committee leaders, Board Liaisons, or Events and Committees Manager Lily Nguyen at lily.nguyen@amchamvietnam.com. While several committees have canceled early January meetings for the holidays, Committee meetings that take place are now open to both in-person (for fully-vaxed) and virtual participation. Please register in advance. All AmCham Vietnam members are welcome to join.

AmCham Membership Renewal. For many of you, it's time to renew your membership for 2022 and continue your involvement in AmCham, with opportunities for professional networking, business intelligence, advocacy to improve the business environment, and promotion of your business. We have been sending out 2022 Membership Renewal notices via email.  We hope you all will renew promptly and that many will consider upgrading to become Premium Members! If you haven’t yet received your renewal notice, please contact Membership Manager Sam Hoang! 

AES Vietnam a New Premium Corporate Member: We are delighted to welcome AES Vietnam as a Premium Member at the Gold-level and value its support. AmCham 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 benefits, and exclusive VIP access. Customized packages are available. To learn more, see LINK or contact Office Manager Cindy Tran.

Additionally, a program on promoting tourism - aviation cooperation, and flight routes to Da Nang, took place in the city on Monday, January 17, in both online and in-person formats. At the program, the Da Nang Department of Tourism and AmCham Vietnam Member IPP Travel Retail entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly organize "Routes Asia 2022" which is set to take place in Da Nang from June 6-8. The event is expected to attract more than 500 delegates who are representatives of 110 airlines and 30 travel companies globally. Routes Asia is the only route development event dedicated to the Asia Pacific region. First held in 2003, the annual event provides a platform for event attendees to expand connections and discuss air route development opportunities with many airlines, airports and tourism agencies in the region and around the world. Congratulations to IPP Travel Retail and CEO Phillip Nguyen for this outstanding accomplishment!

Time to Celebrate?

For more information, LINK (to COVID page).

AmCham Vietnam ties with Binh Duong Province are strong and growing. Binh Duong already represents the largest concentration of AmCham member companies outside of HCMC. Close coordination with local authorities has been key to the maintenance of manufacturing supply chains and rebound now underway. With its network of modern industrial parks, AmCham expects Binh Duong to remain a very attractive destination for FDI in Vietnam. On January 18, AmCham Vietnam 2021 Chair and Mekong Capital Partner Chad Ovel, together with Executive Committee Member and P&G Vietnam General Director Sai Ponugoti, U.S. Consulate Principal Commercial Officer Stephen Jacques, and Economic Section Chief Alex Tatsis, led a delegation of AmCham member companies in Binh Duong to meet with Binh Duong Deputy Party Secretary and People’s Committee Chairman Vo Van Minh, Becamex CEO Pham Ngoc Thuan, and relevant Binh Duong department leaders. If your company has operations in Binh Duong, please contact Sam Hoang at sam.hoang@amchamvietnam.com to ensure you are included in our Binh Duong Network email collective so we can keep you apprised of upcoming events and activities! See Advocacy Report for more details. 

Streamlined Entry for Foreigners, Overseas Vietnamese and Relatives. On 18 January 2022, the Government Office issued Official Letter No. 450/VPCP-QHQT about the entry of foreigners, overseas Vietnamese living abroad and their relatives ("Official Letter No. 450"). See Advocacy Report for the text and an informal translation of Official Letter No. 450. We expect that relevant ministries and authorities will soon issue guiding documents on the implementation of Official Letter No. 450.

Many thanks to Baker McKenzie for the summary and translation. Let us know at advocayaction@amchamvietnam.com if you would welcome a briefing on the new provisions. 

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, and advocacyaction@amchamvietnam.com

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.

January 25: Tourism and Hospitality Committee Meeting

January 25: Women in Leadership Committee Meeting

January 26: Healthcare Committee Meeting