The event, titled “The 2018 U.S. Midterms – What do the results mean for trade and politics?”, was organized to discuss the implications of the US midterm election result. The result was announced on November 6, 2018, in which the Democratic party took over the House of Representatives and Republican party held on to the Senate.

The event kicked off with opening remarks from US Consulate General Kurt Tong. The panelists at the event included:

Keith Richburg, Director, JMSC
Kym Kettler-Paddock, Communications Director, Republicans Overseas
Edith Terry, Former Chair, Democrats Abroad
Peter Levesque, Managing Director, Modern Terminals
Stephen Olson, Research Fellow, the Hinrich Foundation

During the discussion, Olson pointed out that a lot of trade partners are dissatisfied with President Donald Trump’s style and his unilateral approaches but there is a growing acknowledgement that many of the points put forth by President Trump are valid and have to be addressed.

He explained that the new NAFTA ratification will get more complicated as there will be an increased likelihood that Congress will try to reassert its authority, possibly in the form of asking for more consultation with Congressional officials on trade matters. It could therefore curb President Trump’s current trade power.

On US-China trade relations, Olson argued that the US midterm election result will not have any significant impact on the current US and China tariff war as both Democrats and Republicans have similar views on taking a hard line with China. However, the tit-for-tat tariff war between the two countries will affect American consumers.