Dom LaVigne, executive director of the chamber, said in a statement that US companies in Singapore were keen to see the US government maintain and increase its engagement with the region.

He was commenting in statement on an article in yesterday's The Straits Times, a local English daily, by Timothy D. Adams, Undersecretary for International Affairs at the US Department ofthe Treasury, in which Adams explained the priority given by the US Treasury Department in recent years to engagement with southeast Asia.

Trade and investment between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has increased over recent years, particularly with the signing of the US Singapore Free Trade Agreement, the ASEAN-US Enhanced Partnership and the ASEAN-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement.

"Now, more than ever, this engagement is critical as ASEAN continues its move toward greater regional integration," said LaVigne, adding that "US businesses see great opportunities in the region as integration proceeds and also great benefits for thelocal economies."

American chamber in Singapore is the largest foreign business chamber in Singapore, with more than 2,500 members representing about 600 companies and an estimated 50 billion Singapore dollars (about US$32.7 billion) of investments in Singapore and the region.