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MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
May 3rd
101st Anniversary Gala
Hyatt Regency Guam
May 6th
Small Business Focus & Development Meeting, Chamber Office
May 8th
AFC's A Conversation with Capt. Blake Burket, Commanding Officer in Charge of Construction, Marine Corps Marianas
May 22
GYP General Membership Meeting
May 26
Memorial Day
Chamber Office Closed
May 28th
General Membership
Meeting, Hilton Guam Resort & Spa
June 6th
Small Business Seminar
June 25th
General Membership Meeting, Hilton Guam Resort & Spa
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A Conversation With CAPT. Blake Burket
Thursday, May 8, 2025
The Armed Forces Committee is pleased to present A Conversation with Capt. Blake Burket, Commanding Officer in Charge of Construction, Marine Corps Marianas, on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. at the Guam Chamber of Commerce Office, 372 West Soledad Avenue in Hagåtña. CAPT. Burket will provide the membership with updates on DPRI-related construction activity here in Guam, which includes Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz.
AFC members will have time to engage one-on-one with Capt. Burket and other committee members in this intimate setting. We hope that your schedule will allow you to participate. Seating is limited, so please be sure to save your spot today!
This meeting is exclusive to AFC members. Member attendance is non-transferable and admission will not be allowed for members' guests. This meeting is not open to the media. Thank you for your understanding.
Contact the Chamber Team to reserve your seat!
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Guam Chamber JDTC Life Skills Workshops
The Chamber, in partnership with the Superior Court of Guam, developed a program of basic life skills workshops designed for youth participants. There are four categories of workshops: Work or Job Oriented Skills, Life Skill or Personal Interest, Self-Esteem and Goal Oriented Skills, and Sports & Health Development Oriented Skills. Member companies such as Advanced Management, Bank of Guam, First Hawaiian Bank, Cars Plus, Atkins Kroll, Triple J Enterprises, Hilton Guam Resort & Spa, Pestex, Coast 360, GTA, and more have provided one-hour workshops in support of the Life Skills Program specific to the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Program.
We are seeking more member partners to provide these all-important life skills workshops throughout the year. Please call the Chamber office or reach out to Catherine Castro to learn more about how you can make a difference in the lives of our at-risk youth.
Incentives & Sports Equipment
At the Judge’s discretion, incentives are handed out to JDTC participants as a response to progress in the program. Additionally, incentives are provided as a means to provide transportation for youth to attend court and counseling sessions. Chamber members have provided gas cards, bus passes, phone cards, movie passes, meal coupons, and more. If you are interested in providing incentives for this program, your gift(s) will contribute to supporting the recovery of youth enrolled in the program.
The program is also in need of replacing worn-out sports equipment that is used every week during recreational therapy. If you and your company would like to provide an in-kind gift or needed supplies, please contact a member of the Chamber Team to learn more about how you can make a contribution.
As you can see, there are a number of ways to support the JDTP and our partnership with the Judiciary of Guam. When a business, community, or family supports a program such as the juvenile drug treatment court, the impact is felt by more than just one person. We ALL Rise.
Sign your business up!
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We continue to urge the 38th Guam Legislature to hear Bill No. 11-38, which seeks to lower the BPT from 5% - 4%. To date, the 38th Guam Legislature has introduced 130 bills. We encourage our members to view these bills and let us know which would negatively or positively impact your industry.
Contact your Senators to let them know your concerns or what you think of the bills that they have introduced in this legislature.
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Small Businesses Need Immediate Tariff Relief
The U.S. Chamber sent a letter asking the administration for immediate small businesses tariff relief while new trade deals that expand market access for U.S. companies and benefit American workers are negotiated.
Why it matters: “We must work together to avoid a recession and to realize America’s economic potential,” said U.S. Chamber President and CEO Suzanne P. Clark. “The President has no greater ally than the Chamber on our shared pro-growth priorities, like making our current tax policy permanent, reining in regulatory overreach, expanding trade opportunities for American businesses and workers, and unleashing America’s energy potential.”
Details: In a letter sent to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Chamber asked the administration to:
- Grant automatic tariff exclusions for any small business importer.
- Provide tariff exclusions for all products that cannot be produced in the U.S. or are not readily available.
- Establish a process to apply for a tariff exclusion if a company can demonstrate that tariffs pose a risk to American jobs.
What they’re saying: At the U.S. Chamber’s Small Business Day, we heard the frustration and fear businesses are experiencing because of tariffs:
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“We have been diversifying our supply chain, but we are heavily exposed to China,” said Jocelyn Gailliot, Co-Founder and CEO of fashion retailer, Tuckernuck. “You see a lot of our third-party brands that are much smaller. They're the ones that I am most concerned about, because they don't necessarily have the margins or the ability” to adjust their supply chains.
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“Tariffs are scary,” said Pallavi Pande, Owner and Founder of DTOCS, a 2024 CO—100 honoree that makes disposable dinnerware out of palm leaves. “I manufacture in India, because palm leaves are not something I can find domestically here in the United States… [Tariffs are] going to make it hard for me to get my products into parties where people use single-use disposables.”
They join the chorus of small businesses speaking out about the costs and uncertainty tariffs are creating.
- “As each day goes by, small businesses are increasingly endangered by higher costs and interrupted supply chains that will cause irreparable harm,” Clark said.
Impact of Overreaching Regulations on Businesses and Workers
Across the country, businesses and workers are spending too much time and money navigating regulatory requirements.
According to the latest U.S. Chamber and MetLife Small Business Index, 51% of small business owners say regulatory compliance requirements make it harder for them to grow their business.
During the 2025 State of American Business address, U.S. Chamber President and CEO Suzanne P. Clark stressed the urgent need to roll back the worst of the regulatory onslaught of the past four years to create opportunities for workers and businesses to thrive.
“As it stands, this unprecedented bureaucratic micromanagement of business will cost the economy $1.8 trillion and trickle down into Americans’ lives and pocketbooks through higher prices, lower wages, and fewer jobs,” said Clark. “And we will continue to work with the administration—as we did in President Trump’s first term—on this shared priority.
While some federal regulations are meant to spur positive changes or outcomes, they often have unforeseen consequences. Doug Holtz-Eakin, a former director of the Congressional Budget Office and current president of American Action Forum, says costs are costs when it comes to the impact of regulations on businesses. “If you’re a businessperson, you have to cover the costs, whether it’s a tax you have to pay or another way to get to the same thing – a regulation that they force you to comply with. It hurts your opportunity to hire people. It hurts your chances to expand. It hurts all the things we think of as productive in the economy, and that’s a headwind to growth.”
Regulatory burdens aren’t just shouldered by businesses. They are also passed on to consumers. “[Regulations] amount to a massive stealth tax, paid by the American people, through lower pay and higher prices for the goods and services that we buy every day,” says Rep. August Pfluger (TX-11), Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives' Republican Study Committee.
“I worry about this continued expansion of the regulatory state as a real headwind to American prosperity,” says Holtz-Eakin.
Susan Dudley, the former director of the regulatory branch of the Office of Management Budget, points to the 1970s, 80s, and 90s as proof that an increase in competition and reduction in regulation led to “huge improvements in economic growth and social welfare because [before], we had innovations that were constrained by regulated activity.”
What’s more: Regulations not only increase costs for businesses, but also the amount of time business owners must spend filling out government paperwork to comply with federal regulations. And that creates strains on the productivity of business owners and their ability to run and grow their business.
“The Biden Administration’s regulations have imposed a paperwork burden that is equivalent to 360 million hours,” says Rep. Brandon Gill (TX-26). “If one person had to fill out all of that paperwork, it would take them an estimated 41,000 years.”
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Talofofo Banana Festival
Ipan Beach Park
May 9, 10, 11
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HMI's 2nd Annual Golf Tournament
Saturday, May 24, 2025
HMI Guam will be hosting its 2nd Annual Golf Tournament, scheduled to take place at the Sono Felice Country Club in Talofofo on Saturday, May 24, 2025. Showtime will be at 11:30 a.m., and the Shotgun start time will be at 12:30 p.m. The event proceeds will help cover all the administrative costs of organizing veteran events throughout the year.
For more information on team registration and sponsorship, please contact Noman Castillon at (671) 483-0184 or Carina Ballesta at (671) 682-7631.
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10th Annual GBA/PONY Summer Academy Baseball & Softball Champs
Summer 2025 – The Guam Baseball Academy (GBA), in collaboration with PONY Baseball, proudly announces the 10th Annual GBA/PONY Summer Skills and Games
Academy—a four-week celebration of baseball and softball development featuring elite-level instruction, fun activities, and international exchange.
This year’s academy includes two weeks of baseball and two weeks of softball, bringing together former Japanese professional players, top U.S. college coaches, returning fan-favorite softball instructors, and Guam’s own local softball leaders. See event line-up in the graphic.
Click here to register!
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Highway Improvements
Route 1, Asan
As part of the Island-Wide Safety Improvements Project-funded by the Federal Highway Administration and including striping along Route 1 from the Route 1/6 intersection of the Route 1/11 intersection - the Department of Public Works (DPW) will enhance safety along Dead Man's Curve in Asan.
Safety enhancements specific to Dead Man's Curve are expected to begin in May and will include the installation of rubble stripes, optical speed bars, narrow travel lanes, and wider edge pavement marking along the 2,200-foot stretch.
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New Episode Alert!
Season: 4 Episode: 2
Featuring Local Jerk Guam
Look no further! We're thrilled to announce Season 4, Episode 2 of the Chamber Member Spotlight Podcast, featuring none other than Marvin Crisostomo, Chief Executive Officer of Local Jerk Guam! 🇬🇺
In this exciting episode, Marvin takes us on a journey through his incredible range of products, including Donne Dinance, Dinance Tuba, delicious jelly, mouth-watering jerky, and unique apparel. You'll get an inside look at what it truly takes to run and operate a small business while discovering the passion behind his brand. Click your favorite link below to tune in and listen to this new episode of Chamber Member Spotlight Podcast.
Youtube • Spotify • Apple Podcast
| | Si Yu'os Ma'åse to our Centurion Plus Sponsors! | | Si Yu'os Ma'åse to our Centurion Sponsor! | | |
Si Yu'os Ma'åse to our Centennial Contributors!
Ada's Trust & Investment, Inc. • Arnett Consulting, LLC • Assurance Brokers, Inc. dba: AB Risk Solutions • Bank of Hawaii • Black Construction Corporation
California Pacific Technical Services, LLC • Coffman Engineers, Inc.
Guam Insurance Adjusters, Inc. • Guam Music, Inc. • Hilton Guam Resort & Spa
HMI Guam • Hotel Nikko Guam • Island Skin Spa • Joe & Franks Auto
Jerold W. Filush, CPA • Marianas Steamship Agencies, Inc. • Matson Navigation Company
Micronesian Drivers Associations, Inc. • North Wind Group • Outback Steakhouse
Pacific Islands Development Bank • Phoenix Pacific (Guam), Inc.
Salt + Light Realty • SignKing, Inc. • Sylvan Learning Center
TNN Guam, Inc. dba: The Tsubaki Tower • Triple J Enterprises, Inc.
Triple J Five Star Wholesale Foods, Inc. • Triple J Rentals (Guam), Inc. dba: Hertz Licensee
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