Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry will consult the US Trade Representative (USTR) over a Section 301 probe into excess industrial capacity.
Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said on Thursday, 12 March 2026, that it will engage with the US Trade Representative (USTR) to clarify data and details of a Section 301 trade investigation targeting excess industrial capacity.
The USTR notice cited Singapore as having a USD 27 billion trade surplus with the US in 2024, but Singapore said it actually recorded a USD 27 billion trade deficit. The ministry also said industrial space occupancy remains healthy at around 90%, contradicting USTR claims of continued capacity expansion amid falling occupancy.
The investigation covers 16 major trading partners, including China, the EU, India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Switzerland, and Norway. USTR Jamieson Greer said the probe could lead to new tariffs by this summer.
