NDR 2026: PM Wong addresses US forced-labour tariffs and Singapore's position as a global trade hub

At the National Day Rally on 23 August 2026, PM Lawrence Wong disclosed that the US imposed a 12.5 per cent tariff on a range of Singapore goods after finding Singapore among 54 economies that failed to ban imports produced with forced labour, following investigations into 60 trading partners. Wong acknowledged that Singapore, as a major transshipment and re-export hub, cannot trace the full supply chain behind every product, and said Singapore would continue engaging with the US while enforcing its own rules against wrongdoing. He warned that governments are increasingly weaponising trade, technology and investment to advance strategic and security objectives.