Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Asia

#ICYMI: For the first time, the U.S. Commercial Service (CS) participated alongside Defense Security Cooperation Agency colleagues from across the #IndoPacific region in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (#INDOPACOM) Capabilities Development and Exercises (CAPEX) Working Group and Industry Day from October 21-25 in #Bangkok, #Thailand. Participants from our #Asia team included INDOPACOM-based Commercial Advisor, Bill Kutson, who joined the Working Group sessions designed to align security cooperation priorities, develop capabilities, and ensure regional readiness, and also met with over 30 U.S. participating companies interested in expanding their presence in the region; as well as Bangkok-based Senior Commercial Officer, Catherine Spillman, who was honored to serve as a guest speaker during Industry Day. We look forward to continuing to collaborate closely with INDOPACOM in support of U.S. strategic interests, as well as U.S. economic competitiveness in the region!

Thrilled that our expert teams at headquarters, in #Hanoi, and in #HoChiMinhCity were there to help drive this timely trip!

#DYK that #hydrogen fuel can be produced by separating the hydrogen from other elements in molecules where it exists? As hydrogen is increasingly explored as a #decarbonization solution to help address #energy challenges related to #manufacturing, #transportation, #gridresilience, and #energystorage, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Energy Market Authority (EMA) of Singapore have teamed up to look into its commercial potential. At last week’s Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW), they co-organized the inaugural #Singapore-U.S. Forum under the theme “Scaling the Hydrogen Economies in #Asia,” showcasing innovative hydrogen companies and facilitating discussion of practical solutions, such as financing, that are prerequisites for accelerating hydrogen adoption. #ASEAN Regional Senior Commercial Officer Aileen Nandi was there, along with U.S. Ambassador to Singapore Jonathan Kaplan, Singapore Senior Minister of State Low Yen Ling, expert panelists, and regional stakeholders, to engage on how best to maximize hydrogen’s promise as a driver of the global #cleanenergytransition. #Cleanenergy and #environmentaltechnology serve as one of four pillars under the U.S.-Singapore Partnership for #Growth and #Innovation (#PGI), launched three years ago by Secretary of Commerce Raimondo and her Singaporean counterpart, Minister of #Trade and #Industry Gan Kim Yong. For more on current priorities under this pillar and others, see the Joint Statement from the most recent PGI Ministerial Meeting, held in Singapore this past June: https://lnkd.in/eXqF_EWP.

#DYK that the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Asia also covers #trade with the #PacificIsland Countries (#PICs)? #ICYMI: Earlier this month, we supported International Trade Administration (ITA) Deputy Under Secretary Diane Farrell on her travels to #Fiji, #Palau, and #PapuaNewGuinea (#PNG), as part of a U.S. delegation led by the U.S. Agency for #InternationalDevelopment (USAID) and joined by representatives from the National Security Council, The White House, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, and U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). Together with our sister agencies, the U.S. Department of Commerce brought greater visibility to the full range of U.S. government tools, from #aidtotrade, that allow us to foster inclusive #economicgrowth and reinforce our partnerships across the #IndoPacific region. Some highlights from the trip: 🇵🇼✍🏻In Palau: A bilateral meeting with President Surangel Whipps Jr., attending the 30th anniversary of Palau’s Independence Day, witnessing a USTDA MOU grant signing involving the Palau National Communications Corporation, and making a site visit to the cable landing station of belau submarine cable. 🇵🇬☀️In PNG: A bilateral meeting Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso, engaging with U.S. and PNG business leaders convened by the American Chamber of Commerce Coral Sea, and exploring #USAID programs promoting #solar and other #renewableenergy solutions. 🇫🇯🤝🏻In Fiji: A bilateral meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica; Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism, and Transport Permanent Secretary Shaheen Ali; and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa. ITA’s Pacific Islands operations are supported by our Sydney-based, Regional Commercial Service Officer Steve Knode and one locally-employed staff member, each, in PNG and Fiji. Having #bootsontheground, through our U.S. Commercial Service presence and through trips such as this, allows us to strengthen commercial and economic ties with these strategically important island nations and build towards a stronger alliance with our PICs partners! #DiplomacyInAction

🚨Trip Alert! 🚨 This week, Assistant Secretary for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S. Commercial Service Arun Venkataraman is in #Hanoi and #HoChiMinhCity, #Vietnam, supported by our Washington DC-based Vietnam expert, Ruth Soberanes, and the Vietnam-based Commercial Service team led by Senior Commercial Officer Steve Green. Following last year’s double upgrade in U.S.-Vietnam bilateral relations, this trip serves as an opportunity for the U.S. Department of Commerce to help deepen bilateral commercial ties by advancing collaboration in priority areas such as the #digitaleconomy and #cleanenergytransition. To learn more about Assistant Secretary Venkataraman’s trip to Vietnam, see: https://lnkd.in/ewXT-9Vk. And for more specifically on #cleantech opportunities in the Indo-Pacific, see Assistant Secretary Venkataraman’s recent article on the International Trade Administration website: https://lnkd.in/eZ726yHd. #digitaltransformation #greentransformation #thefutureisgreen

Last month, the U.S. Department of Commerce played a leading role in advancing discussions on trade, security, and the technical aspects of doing business with Taiwan’s #defense industry. Bringing 50 representatives from 26 cutting-edge #uncrewedtechnology companies to meet with high-level Taiwan authorities, Commerce led the largest-ever U.S. #trademission to #Taiwan to explore opportunities for commercial collaboration in this #criticalandemergingtechnology (#CET) sector. Leveraging the respective strengths of our U.S. Commercial Service, International Trade Administration, and Bureau of Industry and Security-U.S. Department of Commerce, Commerce joined forces with the U.S. Department of State, United States Department of Defense, and American Institute in Taiwan to help trade mission companies navigate market challenges and opportunities. In addition to providing for direct engagement between U.S. Government and Taiwan authority officials, the mission also facilitated business-to-business (#B2B) briefings, as well as other activities aimed at sharing knowledge and connecting businesses. With a population of just over 23 million people, Taiwan is the United States’ 7th largest trading partner for goods and serves as a key link in global #manufacturing and #technology #supplychains. We look forward to seeing how our businesses can grow and develop together! For more information about Commerce-led trade missions, see https://lnkd.in/evpWmN-B.

#India Week came and went in the blink of an eye! Late last week, Assistant Secretary for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S. Commercial Service Arun Venkataraman was joined by Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia Pamela Phan for a meeting with Embassy of India colleagues. Building off the momentum of a series of major, VIP engagements from September 30 through October 3, they took stock of recent U.S.-India announcements and charted out next steps to advance the bilateral commercial relationship. For a recap of U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo’s key engagements during India Week, see the Department’s: Readout from the Secretary’s meeting with Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar of the Ministry of External Affairs, India, at https://lnkd.in/eRckRVEB Press Release from the U.S.-India CEO Forum meeting co-hosted by the Secretary and Minister Piyush Goyal from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, at https://lnkd.in/e42tFKMv Press Release from the U.S.-India Commercial Dialogue meeting co-hosted by the Secretary and the Minister, at https://lnkd.in/evRSMAFg Since the meeting between the two countries’ leaders earlier in September, the two sides have continued their ambitious agenda for strengthening #supplychainresilience, accelerating the #cleanenergytransition, and further growing bilateral #trade and #investment, especially in #criticalandemergingtechnology. Follow the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Asia to keep up to date on what lies ahead. Photo Credit: Secretary Raimondo's official X account and the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Commerce for Asia

Congratulations to the U.S.-Indonesia Society (USINDO) on its 30th anniversary! For the past 30 years, USINDO has committed to increasing understanding of #Indonesia and the United States, including by facilitating engagement between Indonesian and U.S. Government officials. Last month, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S. Commercial Service, Arun Venkataraman, joined USINDO for a gala celebrating the dual milestones of USINDO at 30 years and U.S.-Indonesian relations at 75 years. The U.S. Department of Commerce is proud to play a key role not only in increasing understanding between the United States and Indonesia, but also in strengthening our economies. The Assistant Secretary highlighted the work of the International Trade Administration, including to help Indonesia meet its #cleanenergy goals, undergo a #digitaltransformation, and develop its new capital city, #Nusantara. In November, Commerce’s Under Secretary for #InternationalTrade Marisa Lago will be delivering on these plans by leading a robust delegation of U.S. companies to Indonesia for the Innovative Technologies for #UrbanInfrastructure Development Mission (learn more here: https://lnkd.in/ewPJmufq). The future looks bright! Follow along on this page and U.S. Commercial Service Indonesia to keep up with developments on the horizon.

#DYK that #Vietnam is the United States’ largest trading partner amongst all #SoutheastAsian countries? #Digitaltrade is one of the key drivers of our bilateral commercial ties, and the U.S. Department of Commerce is one of the leading U.S. government agencies working to promote safe and secure #digitaltrade. Last month, the International Trade Administration (#ITA), National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and USPTO met with visitors from the Ministry of Industry and Trade Vietnam as part of USAID’s Vietnam Digital Trade Activity Study Tour. The meeting included discussion of the Department’s work in #dataprotection, #dataprivacy, #artificialintelligence, #cybersecurity, #OpenRAN, #5G, and #intellectualpropertyprotection and allowed Department experts to share their experiences with the digital trade ecosystem. Ruth Soberanes, our Vietnam expert, joined the group for a robust exchange of views that will help inform her upcoming travels to #Hanoi and #HoChiMinhCity later this month. The #digitaleconomy promises to be a driver of economic growth in Vietnam and presents significant opportunities for U.S. companies interested in the Vietnam market. Stay tuned for more from Ruth once she hits the road!

#DYK that #Cambodia is one of the fastest growing economies in the world? A new fiscal year has begun for the U.S. Government, and we are more ready than ever to work with our partners in #SoutheastAsia! On September 30, the International Trade Administration’s (#ITA) Southeast Asia Director Ian Clements and #Cambodia Desk Officer Hong-Phong Pho participated in a luncheon hosted by the US-ASEAN Business Council to welcome Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister Chanthol Sun and his business delegation to Washington, DC. The delegation included the Ministry of Mines and Energy Secretary of State Sok Khavan, the Ministry of Commerce (Cambodia) Secretary of State Boun Sarakmony, the President of The American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia Association (AmCham) Casey Barnett, and other Cambodian business leaders. The next day, Deputy Prime Minister Sun presented on Cambodia’s business climate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). According to the Deputy Prime Minister, Cambodia is one of the fastest growing economies (5.8% per annum expected for 2024), with a young and trainable work force (60% under 35), and offers one of the most liberal investment regimes in the world. Currently, the United States is Cambodia’s largest export market, and garments are its highest paying and highest earning export. In the future, Cambodia has ambitions to attract higher value production from the United States in #aviation, #electronics, #energy, #infrastructure, and other sectors. The Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Asia’s Southeast Asia experts discussed exports and foreign direct investments (#FDI) with important stakeholders, including AmCham Cambodia. Southeast Asian nations continue to strive for more, and ITA is ready to connect businesses to these exciting opportunities.