Minister Gan Kim Yong with US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and US-Asean Business Council president and chief executive Ted Osius at a reception on April 29 commemorating the 20th anniversary of the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement.
The decision to launch negotiations on the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement was made when then US President Bill Clinton and then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong met for a round of midnight golf in Brunei in November 2000, he said. The notion developed into a clear strategic imperative for the FTA and would signal a long-term commitment for the US to engage South-east Asia, he said. "For Singapore, it would strengthen our domestic economy, reinforce our strong bilateral partnership with the US, and help bring the US and the region closer.
The two nations are building on the success to deepen co-operation in new areas with the launch of new platforms like the Partnership for Growth and Innovation in 2021.