In a new commentary for CNA, our CEO Steven Okun looks at how the US and its trading partners are responding to what many now call China Shock 2.0. President Trump's tariffs and America First trade policy often put the US at odds with its partners, while the "middle powers" work to uphold the rules-based trading system without leaning too heavily on either Washington or Beijing. But Steve argues that when it comes to protecting their domestic markets from Chinese overcapacity

Steven Okun chaired the 2026 PRCA APAC Corporate Affairs Forum, which explored key priorities for public affairs leaders in today’s geopolitical landscape. A session featuring David Black highlighted the need to move upstream to shape business decisions before they are made, and to focus on power mapping rather than simply tracking developments. Glenn Wray of Blackbox and Noemie Viterale of APAC Advisors contributed to the session, which emphasised interpreting political and

When investors want Asian growth without China risk, where does the money go? More and more, to Korea, Taiwan and Japan. Steven Okun, advisor to The GR Company, moderated their private capital breakfast in Singapore. On the panel were Juyun Moon, Executive Director at GR Korea, Ambassador Lee Sing Ying, Senior Advisor at GR Taiwan, and Jakob Edberg, President & CEO of The GR Company. Funds that carve out China have become a standard request from LPs. The markets picking up th

U.S. Customs and Border Protection blocked palm oil from two Indonesian plantations, citing debt bondage, withheld wages and retained identity documents. It set the stage for our CEO Steven Okun to unpack emerging non-trade regulations at the Singapore Business Federation’s Future of Trade Forum, with Ernie Koh and Philipp Dupuis, moderated by Kala Anandarajah, BBM. None of this is new. CBP's mandate dates back to the Tariff Act of 1930, and it's based on International Labou

Our CEO Steven Okun was on stage at the Asia Financial Markets Forum, organised by Financial Markets Association of Singapore, breaking down what the US midterms mean for markets watching from Asia. A Republican House is close to a done deal, he told the room, but the Senate is a real contest, and the bigger risk sits somewhere less obvious: a contested result, with local officials refusing to certify, tipping into a genuine constitutional crisis. That's the kind of unknown m

As the American century fades, the Asian renaissance begins. Kishore Mahbubani sat down with our CEO Steven Okun for a fireside chat at the US-ASEAN Business Council's Strategic Business Forum. ASEAN isn't westernizing it's modernizing, on its own terms, shaped for centuries by deep cultural ties to the two giants on its borders, India and China. An image for how the region moves is like a crab: sideways, sometimes backwards, sometimes forwards - never in a straight line, bu

At the The American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (AmCham Singapore)'s Regional Economic Conference, our CEO Steven Okun and Manager Noemie Viterale led Workshop 3: The Imperative for Business to Adapt to Changing Geopolitics. The session covered how public affairs is changing for U.S.-headquartered companies and those doing business with the U.S., where new opportunities are emerging, and why companies need to play the long game. A recurring thread throughout: resilience

Guest: Steven Okun (CEO), APAC Advisors The US and Canada have one of the world's most deeply integrated trading relationships, but tariff threats and tensions over sovereignty have pushed the two neighbours into an escalating trade war. Steven Okun, Founder & CEO of APAC Advisors, discusses how the negotiations broke down and what this means for the future of USMCA and the world.

This year BritCham launched a new Geopolitics Committee, meeting every few months and reaching out when major events take a turn that impacts our members. Steven Okun shared his thoughts on current US developments, and H.E Nikesh Mehta brought the UK perspectives, and dug into economic diplomacy and shifting world orders.

The most credible messengers are the companies and investors who profit from the Republic’s success every day For decades, the US prized partners that upheld the rule of law, kept markets open and met high standards on trade and investment – making Singapore the natural choice for its first Asian free trade agreement partner. Singapore’s values and commitments to the US have not changed.\ For the US, that calculus has shifted as those values are not priorities of an “America

Current U.S. politics, foreign policy, and global trade dynamics intersect to create complex international ramifications. Steven Okun, founder and CEO of APAC Advisors Singapore, discussed how the fragmentation of global trade is reshaping Asia’s economic and geopolitical landscape.

Journalism in a World of Obsolete Geopolitical Assumptions There is no "trade truce" between the US and China. That was Steve Okun's opening line — and he meant every word of it. Steve returned for his annual session with the National Press Foundation's International Trade Reporting Fellowship, speaking to 25 journalists from across Asia on geopolitics and trade. The message was clear: too many stories are still being told through a lens that no longer reflects reality. Three

Why does this matter so much for Asian economies? The closure of the strait of Hormuz provided a “stark wake-up call” exposing the region’s vulnerability, according to a report released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) last week. Before the crisis, 60% of south-east Asia’s imports of crude oil and a third of its imports of gas came from the Middle East, according to the IEA. The region’s energy import bill is projected to reach $160bn this year – double the $80bn bill

While the US and Chinese markets are essential, other countries are making deals with each other in search of more diversified trade Steven Okun and Kellie Meiman Hock Published: 8:30pm, 18 Jun 2026 As US President Donald Trump rebuilds the tariff wall the country’s Supreme Court knocked down, the headlines fixate on each individual block. With the global 10 per cent tariff initially levied in response expiring on July 24, the Trump administration is preparing to replace it b

Steven Okun, CEO of APAC Advisors, joined Sri Jegarajah on CNBC's Inside India to break down what the U.S.-Iran MOU means for energy markets, trade routes, and investors across the region. The U.S.-Iran ceasefire MOU is good news for the short term — oil prices ease, markets respond, and countries like India, South Korea, and Thailand get some relief. But the bigger question is what comes next. Freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz was once absolute; that certain

Trump rebuilds his tariff wall. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed. The US and China are at a stalemate. The markets continue to go up. Investors may be happy. But voters are not. Nor are the US’ trading partners. Republicans will pay the price at the voting booth. Long term, countries look to diversify away from both the US and China.

For decades, companies flocked to China for cheap manufacturing at scale and speed. Now, Western governments are pushing businesses to pull production and reduce their commitments. Beijing is hitting back with sweeping new rules that critics say could make it harder for foreign firms to diversify their supply chains. China says the measures are about protecting national and economic security - as it accuses the West of protectionism. The United States and Europe have been try

Private equity firms can no longer treat government as a regulatory afterthought Steven Okun and Derek Grossman Steven Okun is CEO of APAC Advisors, a geostrategic consultancy based in Singapore. Derek Grossman is a professor of political science and international relations at the University of Southern California. Private equity and venture capital firms operating in Asia had one fewer significant constraint than counterparts in the U.S. -- they didn't need to worry about de

The eyes of the world have been fixed on Beijing this week, where what may be the most significant diplomatic recalibration of the decade is taking place. After all, it's the high-stakes summit between U.S. and China. As US President Donald Trump along with Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping conclude their summit on 15 May, they have framed the U.S. – China bond as the most consequential in the world. Steven Okun speaks with Vietnam Today