As the global race to build "sovereign AI" gains momentum, Southeast Asia is carving out a strategic role in the next wave of digital infrastructure, and the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) is emerging as a focal point. High-profile moves, like Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's recent visit to the Middle East, have spotlighted the growing link between AI innovation and national policy. In Southeast Asia, JS SEZ is becoming a real-world testbed for how governments can work together to support AI-powered industries

President Donald Trump announced that the US has reached a new tariff agreement with Vietnam, lowering tariffs on Vietnamese exports to the US from a previously reciprocal rate of 46% to 20%. While the tech and electronics industries generally welcomed the announcement, experts say the real game-changer may lie in a lesser-discussed clause: a 40% tariff on transshipped goods. The details of its implementation—and the criteria for what qualifies as transshipment—remain unclear