Trump tariffs shake up Singapore’s manufacturing sector

SINGAPORE - In the weeks after crippling tariffs were unleashed by US President Donald Trump, American customers of Singapore-based Watson EP Industries asked the contract manufacturer to shift its production of consumer electronics from China and Vietnam to its Singapore factory.

Singapore is among nations

subject to a baseline 10 per cent tariff rate,

which came into effect on April 5. In addition, so-called reciprocal tariffs of between 11 per cent and 50 per cent were imposed on imports from more than 90 nations that run trade surpluses with the US.