Details

Subject(s)

• Bills, Legislative [Browse]
• Singapore—Politics and government [Browse]

Author

• Chanlett-Avery, Emma [Browse]

Issuing body

• Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service [Browse]

Series

In focus (Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service) [More in this series]

Frequency

Updated irregularly

Summary note

Though geographically only about three times the size of Washington, DC, and with a population of about 5.9 million, the city-state of Singapore exerts economic and diplomatic influence on par with much larger countries. Its stable government, strong economic performance, educated citizenry, and strategic position along key shipping lanes afford it a large role in regional and global affairs. For the United States, Singapore has been a partner in both trade and security initiatives and an advocate of a strong U.S. role in the Asia-Pacific region. At the same time, Singapore's leaders have aimed to maintain close relations with China, and to maintain positive ties with all regional powers. The United States and Singapore have extensive trade and investment ties. The U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which went into effect in January 2004, was the first U.S. bilateral FTA with an Asian country. In 2019, U.S.Singapore trade totaled about $91.6 billion, and Singapore was the 14th largest goods export market for the United States. That same year, the U.S. trade surplus with Singapore amounted to $18.3 billion. Singapore is a party to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership (CPTPP), an 11-nation agreement that evolved from the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), from which the United States withdrew in 2017, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a 15-nation regional trade pact. Although not a U.S. treaty ally, Singapore is one of the strongest U.S. security partners in the region. A formal strategic partnership agreement allows the United States to access Singaporean military facilities and promotes cooperation on issues ranging from counterterrorism to counter-proliferation.

Notes

The CRS report home page provides access to all versions published since 2018 in accordance with P.L. 115-141.

Source of description

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

LCCN

2020247790

OCLC

1157287946

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