Tariffs, Trump and the Indo-Pacific: Reading Washington’s signals
From Lowy Institute by Lowy Institute
March 31, 2026 · 1h 9m
About this episode
Stephen Biegun discusses the Trump administration's perspective on the Indo-Pacific region and its implications for US trade and security policy.
In this Lowy Institute event held in Melbourne, former US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun offers his candid assessment of how the Trump White House views the Indo-Pacific. Drawing on his experience as a son of Detroit and his deep knowledge of US trade and security policy, Stephen Biegun examines the forces reshaping Washington's approach to the region: from sweeping tariffs and alliance burden-sharing to the looming question of China. Following his address, Stephen Biegun was joined in conversation by Lowy Institute Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove AM. Stephen Biegun served as US Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea in the first Trump administration. He previously held senior roles at Ford Motor Company and the US Senate, and served on the National Security Council under President George W. Bush. More episodes of the Lowy Institute's podcasts are available on your favourite podcast apps, including Spotify , YouTube and Apple . Follow the Lowy Institute on our website , X , Instagram or LinkedIn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People in this episode
Host: Dr Michael Fullilove AM
Guest: Stephen Biegun
Topics covered
- US trade policy
- Indo-Pacific strategy
- China relations
- Trump administration
- security policy
- tariffs
- alliance burden-sharing
Keywords
- tariffs
- Trump
- Indo-Pacific
- China
- US trade policy
- security
- alliance
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Lowy Institute, Ford Motor Company, National Security Council, Trump administration, US Senate
Places: Melbourne, Detroit
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