If 2025 was defined by unprecedented tariff implementation and trade policy turbulence, what might 2026 hold? Will tariffs continue to reshape trade flows? Will markets be focused on other risks and opportunities? What are the concerns of political leaders across Asia in the coming year?

Join us at the Hinrich Foundation on February 4, as we look to our expert panel for answers to these questions.

Speakers:

Deborah Elms (Head of Trade Policy, Hinrich Foundation)
Dr. Elms is Head of Trade Policy at the Hinrich Foundation in Singapore. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was the Executive Director and Founder of the Asian Trade Centre (ATC). She was also President of the Asia Business Trade Association (ABTA) and the Board Director of the Asian Trade Centre Foundation (ATCF). Dr. Elms received a PhD in political science from the University of Washington.
Taimur Baig (Chief Economist, Managing Director, DBS Bank)
Taimur Baig, PhD, heads global economics as well as macro strategy for interest rate, credit, and currency at DBS Group Research. He also advises the bank on risk management and investment strategy. Dr. Baig is an Honorary Advisor to the Global CFO Network, Director Fellow at the Asian Financial Cooperation Association, and Council Member of the Economic Society of Singapore. Dr. Baig holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He attended London School of Economics and Wabash College for his B.A. in Economics.
Karishma Vaswani (Asia Politics Columnist, Bloomberg Opinion)
Karishma is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster, working across Asia and South Asia for the last two decades, covering some of the biggest stories and interviewing some of the biggest names in the region. She is currently Bloomberg Opinion’s Asia Political Columnist, thinking, writing, broadcasting, and commenting on geopolitics in Asia with a special focus on the US and China’s relationship and what the consequences of that vital relationship are for the rest of the world. Previously she was the BBC’s Chief Asia Presenter, based in Singapore, fronting the BBC’s flagship Asia focused daily news and business programs.

Join us for a panel discussion followed by Q&A to explore critical trade policy issues and upcoming trends that could influence trade in this region.