"The net effect of the first round of Trump tariffs was that it did not create American jobs. The Trump carrier factory photo op where he claimed he would stop the closure of the plant didn’t work out. Instead, it imposed higher costs on American consumers for air conditioners, dishwashers, washing machines, and other products. This is evident in various business school case studies. For instance, Toyota tried to set up a plant in Fremont, the Toyota NUMMI plant, but could never achieve the same efficiency levels as their Japan plants. It’s not just about investing capital and transferring operating systems; the software, the people, and the culture matter significantly. While the US excels at many things, it hasn’t been strong in manufacturing for a while. To change that, the US would need to rebuild its labor base and capabilities, and I’m not sure if there’s enough attention span to accomplish that." - Shiyan Koh
"Politics is always an interesting piece. From my reflection, a technology podcast serves two main purposes. First, it discusses technology for a general audience. Second, it talks about tech within the context of a techie podcast. As a tech podcast, you represent the techie customer persona who is not just interested in tech but also has similar thoughts or questions about global geopolitics, parenting, and other topics that, while not directly about tech, have a relevant angle. Politicians have a strong impact on the rules and regulations surrounding tech. So, I wouldn’t say no to having a politician with a strong point of view on technology come on the podcast." - Jeremy Au
"It's actually quite hard to decouple China from the US. If you tried to only consume made-in-the-US items, you would end up consuming much less and at much higher prices. Chinese companies understand this too. GPs and funds I know have spent time reconstituting their LP bases due to fear that the environment could worsen. People are also choosing to go public elsewhere. Everyone is preparing for these potential changes." - Shiyan Koh
In this episode, Jeremy Au speaks on Singapore port traffic jam from USA tariffs and Middle East conflict, climate change creating Arctic shipping route, and Trump 10% global and 60% China tariffs with Shiyan Koh.
Keywords: Singapore Port Traffic Jam, USA Tariffs and Middle East Conflict, Climate Change Arctic Shipping Route, Trump 10% Global and 60% China Tariffs, Shiyan Koh, Singapore, VC, Thought Leadership
