A two day business summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia next month will be critical next month will be critical for developing an effective response to the trade and economic uncertainty and fears of a trade war.
In this context, the US Chamber of Commerce in Malaysia (AMCHAM) has urged business leaders in the Asia Pacific region to join together to find a path through what’s been described as a “perfect storm” of unprecedented global trade and investment uncertainty.
It said 350 business and government leaders from across the region are expected to take part in the Asia Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce summit (APCAC 2018) on 4-5 April.
The Senior Director in the US Chamber’s Asia Department, John Goyer, says there are deep concerns about US trade and investment policy and changes in trading relationships across Asia.s
“This is the perfect storm where the only thing that is certain is that there’s a great deal of uncertainty.
“But what is important to remember is that Asia remains vital for American business interests – our companies want to be here and invest so it’s vital we come together and plan how to respond to this unfolding situation,” Mr Goyer said.
Summit organiser and Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Malaysia (AMCHAM Malaysia), Siobhan Das, says amidst the uncertainty there are opportunities.
“Asia remains the fastest growing region in the world and that won’t change anytime soon – we need to embrace the opportunities that arise from such growth,” said Ms Das.
Among the conference speakers are:
Lovella Adams ASEAN Director, Coca-Cola, Thailand
Stephen Braim, Vice President at IBM, Australia
Tan Sri Tony Fernandez, Chief Executive Officer, AirAsia
Charles Freeman, Senior Vice President, U.S. Chamber, Washington D.C.
Edward Graham, CEO & President, ExxonMobil, Malaysia
Briand Greer, President South East Asia, Honeywell
Jeffrey Hardee, Executive Director Asia-Pacific Government & Corporate Affairs, Caterpillar Inc.
Datuk Mark Rosario, Chief Executive Officer, GE, Malaysia
Dr Richard Record, Lead Economist, World Bank Group
Ramzi Toubassy, Chief Executive Officer, AmMetLife, Malaysia
The theme of this year’s summit is Charting a Bold Future: US Businesses in the Asian Century.
APCAC (Asia Pacific Council of American Chambers) is an association of 29 American Chambers of Commerce from across in the Asia Pacific and representing 15,000 companies and 10 million employees with an estimated USD 620 billion in annual FDI management and more than USD 1 trillion in annual trade.
The American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1978 and comprises nearly 1000 members representing American, Malaysian and other international companies with strong ties to the U.S.