US Tariffs May Pose Threat to Security Situation in Singapore: Shanmugam

Tariffs imposed by the US may pose a threat to global security as international relations are fundamentally reshaped.

- Andrew Wong

Moving away from a rules-based system also means every country will have to look to itself for security, said Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam on April 17.

This comes as US President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs on its trading partners on April 2.

A baseline tariff of 10 percent will apply to all goods imported into the US from around the world, including Singapore. Steeper, reciprocal tariffs were also slapped on at least 60 trading partners.

"We don't know whether the world, as we know, has gone permanently, or Mr Trump will have a change of heart, but it is going to be a very difficult environment and, inevitably, big countries will start giving incentives and putting up more barriers, because when the US does it, others have to do it too," Mr Shanmugam said.

He added that Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and like-minded counterparts in other countries are currently working together to salvage the world trading system.

"It's not going to replace the Americans, because as I said, they are one-third of the world's consumption. But some order is better than no order. So we are trying to do that, and that's what the Prime Minister meant by there is agency, but there will be stress, and we will be under stress," said Mr Shanmugam, referring to PM Wong's address at the 14th S. Rajaratnam Lecture on April 16.

Mr Shanmugam, who is also Law Minister, was speaking at the Home Team Promotion Ceremony held at the ballroom of Orchard Hotel.