Singapore looks forward to furthering bilateral cooperation with the new US administration.
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong expressed optimism about the future of bilateral ties with the United States under the leadership of President-elect Donald Trump, following his victory in the 2024 US Presidential election. Speaking to Singaporean media on November 6, 2024, Wong reaffirmed Singapore’s eagerness to enhance cooperation with Trump and his team in both bilateral and regional contexts.
Wong, who had previously engaged with Trump during the 2018 Trump-Kim Summit in Singapore, highlighted the productive relationship between the two nations during Trump’s first term, including the extension of the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding on US use of Singaporean facilities. He also noted the growth of trade and investment between the two countries.
“We are looking forward to working with them, and the new administration, to strengthen our bilateral ties and America’s partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region,” Wong said.
The Prime Minister also congratulated Trump in a letter, acknowledging the trust placed in him by the American people and expressing confidence in his ability to lead the US. Wong’s congratulations extended to Trump’s vice-presidential running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, with both leaders hoping to further bolster the strong Singapore-US relationship.
PM Wong pointed out the significance of the US as a key partner for Singapore and the broader region. The US remains the largest source of foreign direct investment in Southeast Asia and plays an essential role in the economic growth and job creation in the region. Singapore, he added, is the only ASEAN nation with a free trade agreement (FTA) with the US, a partnership that has proven highly beneficial, particularly in terms of jobs created in both nations and bilateral trade.
The Singapore-US FTA, signed over 20 years ago, has been a model of successful trade relations, and the ongoing partnership supports over 270,000 jobs in the US. In 2022, bilateral goods and services trade exceeded US$122 billion (S$162.3 billion), reinforcing the importance of the economic ties between the two countries.
