About the Workshop

ASEAN has sought to adapt to an increasingly uncertain global geoeconomic landscape, where unilateral tariffs and protectionist measures are on the rise. The region has bolstered efforts to diversify strategic partnerships, strengthen intra-ASEAN trade mechanisms, and deepen multilateral trade engagement. However, the same geoeconomic forces are simultaneously testing Southeast Asia’s ability to position itself as a reliable and resilient node in global supply chains. This is most stark in the technological space, where great-power technological competition and tariffs on finished consumer electronics threaten to disrupt regional momentum, while export controls on critical resources — such as rare earths for semiconductors and data for digital services — have exposed vulnerabilities in Southeast Asia’s position in global value chains for both hardware and software.

In this context, there is a pressing need to examine the region’s geoeconomic vulnerabilities and explore how regional cooperation can be strengthened to mitigate today’s challenges. This RSIS workshop aims to widen understanding of the complex challenges facing ASEAN in this area. In this regard, the workshop will bring together distinguished experts to critically reflect on ASEAN’s responses to tariff uncertainties, discuss the implications of great-power competition on the future of the region’s technological value chains, and offer strategic insights into how Southeast Asia can effectively navigate the complexities of the shifting global economic order.