Liberation Day in East Asia: One Year Later

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

10 am-11 am (Eastern)

Furman Hall Room 316 and via Zoom 

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About the event

Twelve months ago, President Donald Trump declared “liberation day” and launched a tariff war against the entire world, including key American trade partners in East Asia. Over succeeding months, additional tariffs were announced, modified, and withdrawn against countries and specific goods, such as steel and aluminum. Henry Gao, law professor at Singapore Management University and a trade expert, will take stock of the lasting impact of Trump’s weaponization of tariffs on East Asia and the global trading system. He also will ask whether the tariff war could bring a silver lining: the opportunity to finally address long-festering problems with the old trade system.  

About the speaker:

Henry Gao is professor of law and Lee Kong Chian Fellow at the Yong Pung How School of Law at Singapore Management University. He teaches and researches international trade law and policy, Chinese law, and law and economics. Professor Gao is a member of the editorial boards of the American Journal of International Law and of Law & Geoeconomics, as well as a member of the Executive Council of the American Society of International Law and editorial advisory board of the Journal of International Economic Law. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the WTO Chairs Programme. He has been a consultant to the World Bank and lectured at training courses of the Asian Development Bank. He earned a JD at Vanderbilt University Law School, an LLM at University College London, and an LLB at China Youth Politics Institute.

Professor Robert Howse will be the moderator.