SIIA Talk | U.S. Tariff Turbulence: Legal Uncertainty in Washington and What It Means for ASEAN Business

U.S. tariff policy is once again in flux. Recent court rulings and legal challenges have cast fresh doubt on the legal foundations of major trade measures. In February, the Trump administration introduced a temporary 15% global import tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, but it is not clear if these will last past July. Key questions remain over whether tariffs could rise further under other laws and the legal basis that sustain them.

This uncertainty is prompting businesses and governments to reassess the direction, durability, and credibility of U.S. trade policy. For ASEAN economies deeply integrated into global supply chains, the stakes are especially high as trade policy becomes more entangled with geopolitics, energy market volatility, and wider economic pressures. If tariffs can be reworked under new legal justifications, what does that mean for the reliability of established trade arrangements with Washington?

Speakers:
Mr. Alex Feldman, Partner, The Asia Group
Ms. Elizabeth Chelliah, Principal Trade Consultant, CFOTI, Singapore Business Federation (SBF); former Principal Trade Specialist (PTS), Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), Republic of Singapore 

Moderator: Mr. Simon Tay, Chairman, Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA)

Programme