US-ASEAN Alliance: Action Plan to Boost PH Trade & Supply Chains

Washington D.C. – The U.S.-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) is advocating for a stronger alliance between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to address vulnerabilities in global supply chains, particularly concerning disruptions in food, fuel, and logistics. The call to action came during the launch of the USABC Action Plan supporting the Philippines’ 2026 Chairmanship of ASEAN on April 29, 2026.

USABC interim President and CEO Brian McFeeters emphasized the need for increased cooperation between the public and private sectors to bolster resilience against supply chain disruptions. According to a report by Manila Standard, McFeeters proposed an ASEAN High-Level Dialogue on Sustainable and Secure Supply Chains, aiming to facilitate the sharing of best practices and innovative solutions.

“Let’s try to develop a cooperation between businesses, and we represent some U.S. Businesses that are major players in the logistics area,”

Brian McFeeters

McFeeters stated that these U.S. Businesses could contribute their expertise to improve supply chain security, including efforts to reduce illicit trade, which he noted costs both governments and companies money.

Strategic Action Plan and Philippine Chairmanship

The USABC’s strategic action plan was developed in collaboration with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) to support the Philippines’ priorities as ASEAN Chair in 2026. Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, delivered pre-recorded remarks at the launch, highlighting the importance of public-private collaboration in achieving regional economic goals.

The action plan also addresses key priorities including food security, healthcare, supply chains, the digital economy and workforce development, and artificial intelligence (AI), according to the Philippine News Agency.

McFeeters further discussed the potential for promoting the adoption of electric vehicles in logistics as part of the dialogue’s focus on sustainable logistics, as reported by Manila Standard.

“They would bring their best ideas on how to improve the security of the supply chain. It includes things like trying to cut down on illicit trade, right, because illicit trade costs both governments and companies money.”

Brian McFeeters

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Chairman Emeritus George Barcelon expressed hope that the private sector would collaborate with the government to revisit the moratorium on fuel-based power generation.

The USABC’s initiative comes amid growing concerns about global supply chain vulnerabilities and the need for stronger regional cooperation to address these challenges. The organization’s action plan aims to provide a framework for collaboration between the U.S. And ASEAN member states to enhance supply chain resilience and promote sustainable economic growth.