Hybrid Event
Liberation Day in East Asia: One Year Later
Wednesday, April 8, 2026 | 10:00 – 11:00 AM (ET)
Furman Hall Room 316 and Zoom (245 Sullivan St, New York, NY 10012)
Featuring: Henry Gao, Professor of Law and Lee Kong Chian Fellow, Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University
Moderator: Robert Howse, Lloyd C. Nelson Professor of International Law, New York University School of Law
Co-sponsored by the U.S.-Asia Law Institute (USALI) of New York University School of Law
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 Over succeeding months, additional tariffs were announced, modified, and withdrawn against countries and specific goods, such as steel and aluminum.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.