Weekly eNewsletter
35th Week of 2021 - September 5, 2021
AmCham Vietnam’s Vision:

The most influential, strategic, and dynamic business association in Vietnam, that drives innovation and sustainable growth, and helps our members succeed. AmCham is a diverse and inclusive business association. We welcome American, Vietnamese, and international companies that share our interest in enabling a fair, transparent, predictable, and efficient regulatory environment that values innovation. A community you want to join!
Dear ,
I hope you had an opportunity to rest and recharge on this long National Day weekend. I didn’t, but I did take the opportunity today to enjoy a leisurely morning coffee and my garden between the rains.
Meeting with HE Prime Minister Chinh. The AmCham and U.S. Embassy teams were particularly busy both last week and over the weekend working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Mission to organize a meeting with HE Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Charge d”Affaires Chris Klein, and key representatives of the U.S. business community. The intent was to follow up from VP Kamala Harris’ visit to discuss how to maintain U.S. manufacturing operations and supply chains in Vietnam. We separately were seeking a meeting with HCMC People’s Committee Chairman Phan Van Mai. Event planning for the PM meeting went through multiple permutations. Originally, it was only going to be an in-person event in Hanoi. In the end, it was a hybrid event, with virtual participation including a cross-section of mostly major AmCham member manufacturing companies, as well as representatives of multiple Central government ministries, and leaders of HCMC, Binh Duong, and Dong Nai provinces. There was a full discussion of U.S. business concerns, and we expect at least some to be addressed in the resolution the PM announced will be issued his week on the Government’s support for business during COVID. Following issuance of that resolution and possibly new policies in HCMC and neighboring provinces, we again will seek meetings with provincial authorities.  LINK to this week’s Advocacy Report for more details.
Upcoming Events and Committee Meetings
 
We look forward to welcoming many of you at our virtual Members Night and Meet the U.S. Consulate General Team on Thursday, September 9 at 6:30 PM. You will get updates from AmCham leadership on actions we are taking to support you during this challenging time, the latest on our AmCham CARES fundraiser and upcoming events, and welcome new members. You will also have an opportunity to hear directly from U.S. Consul General Marie Damour and key members of the U.S. Consulate team about their priorities, including the recent visit of Vice President Kamala Harris, and actions they are taking to support American citizens and the AmCham community during the COVID-19 outbreak. LINK

Please also join our Capital Markets and Financial Services Committee (CMFSC) on Monday at 4 PM, updating on the wider industry from Committee leaders with proposed advocacy for bank transfer and non-cash payment; our Education & Training Committee Meeting on Wednesday, September 8, at 9 AM, and on the same day at 5 PM our Legal and VBF Liaison Committee Meeting; our Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Committee Meeting on Thursday, September 9, at 4 PM; and also our Manufacturing Committee Meeting on Friday morning, September 10 at 8:30 AM. For the latter – stay tuned for an agenda update. We want to make sure we have a full discussion and strategy for next steps given the impact on so many of our members!
Report Fundraising from Charity Cookoff.  We are thrilled to announce that at our AmCham CARES Charity Cookoff, we raised $5000! AmCham Vietnam will donate $2500 each to Food Bank Vietnam and Saigon Children's Charity to support their activities in providing food and other necessities for the poor and disadvantaged who are struggling in these challenging times.  Many thanks to AmCham members and friends who contributed generously through our AmCham CARES Community Charity Cookoff with U.S. Consul General Marie Damour, Celebrity Chef Jack Lee, and Linh Thai / Thái Vân Linh. We hope you are also continuing to work on your DIY healthy lockdown cooking skills – I am! And many thanks to our AmCham Women in Leadership Committee leaders who brainstormed and helped make it happen!!  
Show you care! Please help save lives and do your part to help now through AmCham CARES, by contributing cash or in-kind for critically-needed ventilators and medical equipment via AmCham, or directly to our NGO members and partners providing COVID relief.
 
Please contribute NOW to donate ventilators for Vietnam to support the Vietnamese government’s COVID-19 response. AmCham CARES provides you a transparent mechanism to make contributions NOW for critically-needed medical equipment and supplies and know they will be delivered where in Vietnam they are needed most.
 
Even with a country-wide mobilization to support HCMC and surrounding areas, there is still an urgent need for additional vaccines and medical equipment. AmCham CARES is focused on ventilators for Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong, the most acute needs according to the Ministry of Health and Fatherland Front. Thanks to Medtronic, we have access to state-of-the-art Medtronic Covidien ventilators at cost, with availability in Singapore for delivery about two weeks after our order date. We have placed our first order and are expecting to deliver four ventilators, as well as more than $100,000 of other urgently-needed medical equipment later this month to support the Government's response. Please contribute NOW personally or for your company to support Vietnam and HCMC at this challenging time. We are also looking into possible donations of other medical equipment, including BIPAP and CPAP non-invasive ventilators, and SpO2 oxygen monitors. We also welcome contributions from other business associations and non-members and will ensure all donors are recognized. Contribute Now: https://bit.ly/3i4FHRn to demonstrate AmCham Cares! If you have any questions, please contact AmCham Office Manager Cindy Tran at cindy.tran@amchamvietnam.com.
 
The fourth wave of COVID-19 in Vietnam and the highly transmissible Delta variant are causing extreme hardship for many Vietnamese people, especially disadvantaged groups such as migrants and informal workers. We know many of AmCham’s members and friends want to contribute to help, but don’t know how best to do so. In addition to contributing directly via AmCham CARES to donate critically-needed medical equipment to support the Vietnamese governments, we provide information below about various AmCham INGO members’ COVID-19 relief programs in Vietnam, as well as links to some local NGOs vetted and supported by LIN. Contribute now personally or via your company. LINK. 

We are happy to highlight COVID-related contributions from our member companies on our social media. Please email details, including photos, to Cindy Tran. We will also recognize contributions of our member companies to support the Vietnamese government’s COVID response, as well as other innovative and impactful Corporate Social Responsibility Programs or Environment, Social, and Governance initiatives at our November 18 “Giving Thanks Dinner”.
Other Updates
 
AmCham Premium Membership offers the opportunity for qualified companies to highlight their status as business leaders and their strategic support for AmCham Vietnam’s mission and programs. Premium Membership offers a range of discounts, benefits, and exclusive access. Customized packages are available. To learn more, see LINK or contact Office Manager Cindy Tran at cindy.tran@amchamvietnam.com.
 
To support the HCMC People’s Committee’s COVID-19 control measures, AmCham Vietnam will continue to hold all our meetings and events at a Level IV rating this week – all virtual. Please see https://bit.ly/ACEventRating for more information about AmCham’s COVID-19 event ratings. All members of the AmCham team are following a Work from Home (wfh) policy. Our team is still working hard to serve you. We regret our home wifi is not as strong as at the New World Hotel. 
 
We welcome your feedback at team@amchamvietnam.com to let us know how we can serve you better. We wish you a safe and healthy week ahead! Mary
Greetings from Da Nang and I hope you are all well! Good news this week. The ‘stay in place’ order for Da Nang is being modified from tomorrow morning. Certain areas of the city demarked by colors of green, yellow and red will have certain levels of mobility for essential services as well as limited business activities. While this in no way means that the city is open again for business as usual, it is a very positive step in the right direction!
 
You should all consult the relative government websites about the new areas as well as modifications to travel documents and personal protection requirements. Please check https://covidmaps.danang.gov.vn/danang?locale=vn for more information.
 
As we begin to move around again, please stay safe and vigilant and abide by the new regulations to keep yourself and everyone safe!’  All the best.
COVID-19 Update from Healthcare Provider Subcommittee Chair
Dr. Mason Cobb and Andrew Meadows
The Storm Before the Calm?

For more information, LINK (to COVID page).
Advocacy
AmCham Vietnam continues to be focused on COVID-19-related advocacy and support to our members, both at the Central and provincial-level. We were honored to meet with HE Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on September 4th. We are also seeking a meeting with new HCMC People’s Committee Chairman Phan Van Mai, and also will seek meeting with other local authorities in Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Long An, and possibly Ba Ria Vung Tau, and/or Da Nang. Last week, we also submitted a position paper on Decree 72 on Internet Services, signed jointly with the U.S. ASEAN Business Council, and also submitted comments on the Decree via the VBF. This week, we will be considering position papers on bank transfers and non-cash payments at our Capital Markets and Financial Services Committee. We also will consider a position paper to request an extension of the Wind Power Feed in Tariff through our Energy Committee. See LINK for this week’s report. Please continue to share your feedback on policy challenges and recommended solutions to relevant Committee Chairs and advocacyaction@amchamvietnam.com
Committee Meetings & Activities (For AmCham Members Only)
Key Media Updates
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.
Upcoming Event
Virtual participation only. Please register to receive the Zoom link.
Virtual participation only. Please register to receive the Zoom link.
Virtual participation only. Please register to receive the Zoom link.
Offers to AmCham Members

The American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam
New World Hotel Suite 323
76 Le Lai Street, District 1
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Phone: +84 28 3824 3562