In a world of long-drawn crises, ‘wait and see’ may be a decreasingly tenable stance

AT VARIOUS points in the geopolitical roller-coaster ride of the last one-and-a-half years, ordinary citizens of the world could be forgiven for still retaining some optimism.

Early in US President Donald Trump’s second term, some thought that his tariff threats were mostly posturing, aimed at scoring concessions rather than remaking the global trading order.

More than a year later, after earlier rounds of tariffs were deemed illegal, Trump’s administration shows no sign of letting up. Last week, the US proposed a new round of tariffs on 60 countries, including Singapore, under a different legal provision.