For nearly 60 years, the United States and Singapore have forged an expansive and enduring relationship based on mutual economic interests, robust security and defense cooperation, and strong people-to-people ties. Our two countries have worked as close partners in support of the rules-based economic and security order in the Indo-Pacific and have consistently collaborated to address global threats and challenges to include terrorism, transnational crime, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Singapore and the United States are closely linked. More than 30,000 U.S. citizens live in Singapore, and almost 40,000 Singapore citizens live in the United States. Nearly 4,500 Singaporeans study in the United States, the highest number per capita in the world, while over 1,400 U.S. citizens study in Singapore each year. The United States and Singapore work together for greater impact in the region and across the globe. As a founding member of ASEAN and a champion of a stable and open international system, Singapore is a key U.S. partner in the Indo-Pacific.
The United States and Singapore cooperate on a range of issues, including defense, climate change and clean energy, health security, technology, cybersecurity, and regional capacity building. One mechanism that further strengthens our cooperation in the Indo-Pacific is the U.S.-Singapore Third Country Training Program (TCTP). Aimed at providing technical assistance and training to ASEAN member states, Timor-Leste, and the Pacific Islands, TCTP focuses on connectivity, sustainable development, and regional resilience. Since the TCTP was established in 2012, Singapore and the United States have jointly organized over 75 courses and trained more than 2,000 government officials from ASEAN member states, Timor-Leste, the ASEAN Secretariat, and the Pacific Island countries in the areas of trade, intellectual property, environment, health, urban planning, disaster management, and cybersecurity, among others. Recent new mechanisms have enhanced our cooperation further. The annual Critical and Emerging Technology Dialogue (CET) was launched in October 2023 to foster cooperation on areas such as artificial intelligence, the digital economy, biotechnology, quantum technology, critical infrastructure, and defense innovation. The 2021 U.S.-Singapore Partnership for Growth and Innovation allows us to drive commercially meaningful outcomes for our businesses and people in the digital economy, clean energy and environmental technology, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare. The United States and Singapore also launched the U.S.-Singapore Climate Partnership, which is expanding our efforts to promote high-quality climate standards and boost regional ambition on sustainable finance. In 2023, we also held our first bilateral Space Dialogue to strengthen cooperation in civil space matters. The United States is partnering with Enterprise Singapore (ESG), a statutory board under Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry to collaborate and launch the U.S.-ASEAN Smart Cities Partnership (USASCP) Business Innovation Fund 2.0 program which targets small and medium ASEAN entities in collaboration with Singaporean companies pioneering sustainable net-zero/low carbon solutions to address urban challenges.
Bilateral Economic Relations
The United States has a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) with Singapore that entered into force in 2004, making it the first U.S. FTA with a country in Asia. Singapore is the United States’ largest trading partner in Southeast Asia, and 18th largest trading partner overall. The United States is the largest foreign investor in Singapore and its largest trading partner in services. The FTA between the United States and Singapore supports approximately 220,000 American jobs, and our bilateral goods and services trade surpassed $122 billion in 2022. There are more than 5,200 U.S. companies registered in Singapore and the United States is the largest foreign investor in Singapore, with about $309 billion in direct investments. In May 2022, Singapore and the United States joined 12 other partners to launch the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). Singapore is a visa waiver program country, which allows Singaporeans to travel to the United States for certain business or tourism purposes for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa.
Bilateral Security Cooperation
The United States and Singapore cooperate on the full range of security issues, to include border security, maritime security, military preparedness, counter proliferation, cybersecurity, and counterterrorism. The 1990 Memorandum of Understanding Regarding the United States Use of Facilities in Singapore, renewed in 2019, and the 2005 Strategic Framework Agreement for a Closer Cooperation Partnership in Defense and Security and the Defense Cooperation Agreement, enhanced in 2015, underpin this strong partnership. Singapore also benefits from the Unites States’ provision of overseas training and technology access to the Singapore Armed Forces. The two militaries also participate in overseas operations together, most recently including Operation Prosperity Guardian under Combined Task Force 153: Red Sea Maritime Security. Singapore was the first Southeast Asian country to join the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS (D-ISIS), and the Singapore Armed Forces have deployed imagery analysis teams, KC-135 aircraft refueling tankers, and medical teams to the D-ISIS campaign. Singapore has also played a critical role in our counterpiracy efforts, including serving as the Commander of the Gulf of Aden counterpiracy Combined Task Force 151 in 2018, as well as hosting the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre. In 2014, we launched an annual Law Enforcement and Homeland Security and Safety Cooperation Dialogue to discuss cooperation on a wide range of law enforcement and homeland security issues.
People to People Ties
More than 30,000 U.S. citizens live in Singapore, and nearly 40,000 Singapore citizens live in the United States. The United States remains one of the top study destinations in the world for Singaporeans. Nearly 4,500 Singaporeans study in the United States, and approximately 1,400 U.S. citizens study in Singapore each year. The United States works closely with Singapore’s Ministry of Education to conduct a biannual Fulbright exchange with U.S. and Singaporean school principals and superintendents covering regional education strategy and teacher recruitment and retention. There are more than 100 university exchange programs and over 40 institutional partnerships between our two countries.
U.S. Assistance to Singapore
The Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) program has been active in Singapore since 2003 and has provided more than $2.5 million in technical exchanges and assistance. EXBS’ goals in Singapore are to encourage active targeting and enforcement of export controls, full compliance with the four multilateral export control regimes, and cooperation on counter-proliferation prosecution and investigation matters. EXBS also works with Singapore as a regional leader to promote strategic trade controls and to mentor ASEAN member states that lack export controls.
Singapore’s Membership in International Organizations
Singapore and the United States belong to a number of international organizations, including the United Nations, APEC, East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. As founding members of APEC, the United States and Singapore work closely, including through the U.S. APEC 2023 host year, on economic cooperation in the region. The APEC Secretariat is also based in Singapore.
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