PHILIPPINE EMBASSY CO-HOSTS ASEAN AGRICULTURE ATTACHÉS ROUNDTABLE WITH US-ASEAN BUSINESS COUNCIL

PRESS RELEASE
WDC-67-2025

09 October 2025

Embassy Press and Information Section

info@phembassy-us.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Philippine Embassy co-hosted a roundtable discussion among ASEAN Agriculture Attachés based in Washington DC and the US-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC) on 08 October 2025, exchanging views on shared priorities and challenges towards strengthening engagement and strategic partnership in the agri-food sector.

In his welcome remarks, Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez noted that this roundtable is most opportune, coming on the heels of the 47th Meeting of ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Food (AMAF) hosted and chaired by the Philippines on 01 October 2025 in Pasay City. “The AMAF meeting just adopted the ASEAN Food, Agriculture and Forestry (FAF) Sectoral Plan 2026-2030, comprising six priority areas, as the medium-term blueprint to operationalize the ASEAN Vision 2045,” the Ambassador highlighted.

US-ABC Executive Vice President Mark Mealy provided the Council’s perspective on its participation at the 47th AMAF, including the meeting of its business mission, composed of US industry representatives, with the Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr.  and the ASEAN Secretariat. The Council presented its interest in engaging ASEAN members in key areas such as climate-smart and digital technologies, circular economy, and innovations in animal health and food supply chain.

During the open discussion, moderated by US-ABC Senior Research Director Hai Pham, Agriculture Attachés from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam shared their respective national priorities and interacted with US-ABC members from Bayer, Cargill, DGA-Group-ASG, Elanco Animal Health, McLarty Associates, MSD Animal Health (Merck), PepsiCo, and US Dairy Export Council.  The topics covered include agricultural trade, notably the U.S. reciprocal tariffs, free trade agreements and intra-ASEAN trade, as well as addressing livestock and poultry pests and diseases, and geographic indications.

In closing, Philippine Agriculture Counsellor Lupiño Lazaro, Jr. thanked all participants and organizers of the roundtable, enjoining the ASEAN Agriculture Attachés, colleagues and partners, along the spirit of “unity in diversity” to extend dedicated service and cooperation towards uplifting the livelihoods of constituents in the agri-food industry, leaving no one behind.

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