The US helped with the S’pore ‘miracle’. Now, it’s calling in the favour, says Trump’s new envoy Anjani Sinha
Bhagyashree Garekar
Sun, 30 November 2025 at 10:22 AM SGT
6 min read
Dr Anjani Sinha has named technology, energy and security as some of his priority areas.
AUSTIN – The United States is calling in a favour from friends like Singapore as President Donald Trump tries to rebalance the American economy and restore “fairness” to the international trading system.
Mr Trump’s ambassador to Singapore, Dr Anjani Kumar Sinha, offered that explanation when asked how the US President’s 10 per cent baseline tariff on the Republic – in spite of a free trade agreement since 2004 – aligns with the broader goals of the US-Singapore relationship.
“Over many decades, American taxpayers and service members have underwritten regional security, playing an important role in making Singapore’s economic miracle possible,” Dr Sinha said in an e-mail interview with The Straits Times.