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Asean readies for Trump’s tariff tantrums, trade turmoil

South-east Asian nations have staked their claim in several economic blocs that exclude the US, leaving the world’s largest economy at risk of losing sway over the region’s economic future

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Goh Ruoxue

Goh Ruoxue

Published Fri, Jan 31, 2025 · 05:00 AM
    • A man reading a Vietnamese newspaper with a front page story on the inauguration of US President Donald Trump; while Trump's earlier threats of tariffs are not off the negotiating table yet, pundits say Asean now has more leverage.
    • A man reading a Vietnamese newspaper with a front page story on the inauguration of US President Donald Trump; while Trump's earlier threats of tariffs are not off the negotiating table yet, pundits say Asean now has more leverage. PHOTO: AFP

    SOUTH-EAST Asia is bracing for impact as US President Donald Trump’s dreaded tariffs make a comeback. But this time, the region is better prepared – armed with stronger trade ties and broader economic alliances to shield itself from a full-blown fallout.

    Since the first Trump administration in 2017, Asean member nations diversified their trading partners, intensified ties with other economic blocs and jacked up intra-regional transactions.

    “This is exactly what they should be doing,” said Stephen Olson, a visiting senior fellow of the regional economic studies programme at Singapore’s Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute.

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    Asean BusinessDonald TrumpUS-Asia relationsTariffsTradeTrade warSouth-east AsiaEconomic growthCPTPPRCEPfree trade agreements

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