"Indo-Pacific Trade Developments in the Biden Administration" with AUSTR Michael Beeman

On October 6, 2022, NBR held its nineteenth President’s Circle dialogue with special guest Dr. Michael Beeman, current Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Japan, Korea, and APEC.

NBR President Roy Kamphausen began with an overview of the top issues in Asia.Roy examined the aftermath of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan in August and the “new normal” in the Taiwan Strait, as well as previewed the upcoming 20th Party Congress in China. Additional topics included the meetings between Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi, and Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in September, North Korean missile launches in the wake of joint U.S.-ROK military exercises, and the implications of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 for the Indo-Pacific.

In the second half of the event, AUSTR Beeman discussed the Biden administration’s trade policy and strategy in Asia, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) process, and more. AUSTR Beeman answered questions from the audience on the implications of heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait for semiconductor supply chains, the role of Japan and South Korea in leading IPEF, and concerns in Seoul over electric vehicle tax credits in the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act.

AUSTR Beeman joined the dialogue virtually, with audience members calling in from across the United States and Asia.