Facing US forced labour tariffs, Singapore must respond on its own terms
Singapore should strengthen its trade regime against forced labour without weakening its role as a global trade hub.
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The US is now linking lower tariff treatment to whether countries have laws that explicitly ban the imports of goods made with forced labour.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Kok Ping Soon
The United States’ decision to impose a 12.5 per cent tariff on Singapore and more than 30 other economies under Section 301 of the US Trade Act, citing insufficient rules against forced labour imports, is a reminder that trade is increasingly being used to advance wider policy objectives. Singapore should take the issue seriously, but we should also respond on our own terms.
The US is not alleging that forced labour is taking place within Singapore. We have strong and effectively enforced laws against forced labour, ratified the International Labour Organization’s Forced Labour Convention, and a strong track record of implementing policies that uphold our international legal obligations.
