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South-east Asia gets tariff breather as Trump resets duties, but too early for region to rejoice

Most of the region’s economies now face tariff rates that are lower by up to 3.5 percentage points, analyst notes

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Evan See

Evan See

Published Mon, Feb 23, 2026 · 04:32 PM
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    • Under Section 122 of the US Trade Act of 1974, Trump's global tariffs of 15 per cent are lower than the previous tariff rates imposed on most South-east Asia's economies before the ruling.
    • Under Section 122 of the US Trade Act of 1974, Trump's global tariffs of 15 per cent are lower than the previous tariff rates imposed on most South-east Asia's economies before the ruling. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG

    [SINGAPORE, JAKARTA, KUALA LUMPUR, HO CHI MINH CITY, BANGKOK] South-east Asian exporters just caught an unexpected break from tariff pressure, with US President Donald Trump announcing his intention to impose new global tariffs of 15 per cent on Saturday (Feb 21).

    It is a reset that effectively lowers duties for most of the region, easing the trade burden that had earlier threatened to stifle growth.

    One view is that companies may start to assume the worst of the tariff and trade uncertainty is behind them.

    Asean BusinessTariffsSupreme CourtTrump tariffs

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