Dear members,
Happy new year from the Council! With significant developments taking place in Washington this month, the Council has been busy ensuring that our member companies remain well positioned to leverage Southeast Asia’s continually expanding opportunities.
Last year saw the region expanding its free trade agreement (FTA) network, which is expected to deepen trade linkages in 2025. As a bloc, ASEAN recently announced the “substantial conclusion” of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) 3.0, which includes new areas of cooperation such as the green and digital economies. Individual member states have also been active in negotiating new agreements:…