The Hinrich Foundation hosted Wendy Cutler for an insightful roundtable discussion on October 19, focusing on US President-elect Trump’s trade policy and its potential impacts. The session was moderated by Chuin Wei Yap, the Foundation’s research director.

Guests included the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the High Commissioners of Canada, New Zealand, and Britain, as well as the Australia High Commission, the EU Delegation to Singapore, and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

The roundtable discussion delved into Trump’s trade agenda, which prioritizes rebalancing trade, encouraging manufacturing and foreign investments back to the United States, and raising revenue to counterbalance tax reductions. The roundtable also underscored the potential impact of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which grants the president extensive authority to regulate international commerce in response to threats, and the significance of tightening rules of origin to favor US content and allies. Participants also discussed the likely US positions it would take on digital rules and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Here are some pictures from the session: