Southeast Asia is fast becoming “a key location for the crossroads of global trade,” says Alexander Feldman, President & CEO of the US-ASEAN Business Council, inWashington, D.C. Indeed, ASEAN’s many trade agreements give it access to India, China, Japan, South Korea and Australia. As the AEC deadline approaches, many multinational firms are crafting strategies to take advantage of the new opportunities. With varying stages of economic development and available workforce among these countries and their 620 million people, knowing how to tap into the region’s growing middle class can be especially difficult for companies looking to enter the region. And while there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, it’s a welcome challenge for companies taking advantage of Southeast Asia’s increasing integration.