SINGAPORE. April 28 — Singapore is negotiating concessions for pharmaceutical exports to the US while ensuring it still has access to high-end AI chips from the American market, said Trade and Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong according to a report by The Straits Times.
Gan said on Sunday that he had a call with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Friday and Lutnick expressed concern about export controls of chips “not just to Singapore, but generally” and wanted to explore “creative solutions” to strengthen bilateral trade, reported the Straits Times.
“We took the opportunity to explain to Secretary Lutnick about Singapore’s export control system and how we have been working together with the US counterparts in this area, to the extent that our law permits,” Gan told local media, adding that Singapore does not condone companies taking advantage of their presence in Singapore to undermine US export controls.
Pharmaceuticals, which US President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs on, make up more than 10 per cent of Singapore’s exports to the US and it was important for Singapore to seek concessions on this front, Gan said in the Straits Times report.
In February, Singapore charged three men with fraud for buying servers that authorities said might contain Nvidia chips and sending them on to Malaysia.
Singapore faces a 10 per cent levy from the US despite a bilateral free trade agreement, compared to much steeper tariffs imposed on its neighbours, and has warned of uncertainty in its trade-reliant economy and the possibility of recession and job losses.
The wealthy city-state has downgraded its GDP forecast for the year to 0-2 per cent after a 0.8 per cent quarter on quarter contraction in the first quarter of 2025.
Singapore is holding a general election on May 3 amid this softening outlook with cost of living pressures high on the electorate’s minds. — Reuters
