What Does the US Election Mean for Southeast Asia?

REGIONAL ECONOMIC STUDIES PROGRAMME WEBINAR

About the Webinar

The US Presidential election, pitting Vice President Kamala Harris against former President Donald Trump, appears headed for a razor-thin finish. While Trump has been forthright in articulating his intention to pursue protectionist policies, including 10-20% universal tariffs across the board and tariffs of at least 60% on China, Harris has been more circumspect, criticizing the Trump tariffs as a tax on US households while also expressing her support for strategic and targeted tariffs to support US workers.

What are the implications of either a Harris or Trump presidency on trade with Southeast Asia? Would a Trump presidency inevitably mean rockier trade relations for the region, and are any countries especially vulnerable? Would a Harris presidency essentially be a continuation of the Biden trade policies, or are there changes the region needs to be prepared for? Under either candidate, would the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) Agreement be brought to a successful conclusion, or would it be discarded? How are US-China trade relations likely to be handled, and what is the likely impact on Southeast Asia?

About the Speaker

Stephen Olson is a Visiting Fellow at the Regional Economic Studies Programme, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. Over the course of his more than 30-year international career, Stephen Olson has lived and worked in Asia, the Middle East, and the United States, holding senior executive positions in the private sector, government, research institutions, and academia. He is a recognized expert on international trade, economic, and business issues. Olson began his career in Washington DC as a US trade negotiator.

Aside from his status as a Visiting Fellow at ISEAS, Olson is also currently a Visiting Lecturer and Non-Resident Fellow at the Clayton Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance. Olson is a member of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Futures Council (GFC) on Trade, and he co-leads a joint workstream with the WEF GFC on Geopolitics. Olson is also an adjunct professor at the George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government and lectures in Beijing at the Capital University of Economics and Business as part of a joint program.

Registration

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