TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - U.S. President Trump is for certain not backing down on his quest to charge higher levies on goods entering the country, and Asian nations are not exempt. Trump has recently announced hefty tariffs applicable to Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, Laos, and Thailand, as well as East Asian nations like South Korea and Japan, starting from August 1 unless swift agreements are reached.
What seems especially diabolical about this announcement is its timing: it was made just before the U.S. Secretary of State, Mario Rubio, makes his first visit to Asia.
From July 8 to 12, Rubio is set to attend the ASEAN-United States Post-Ministerial Conference, the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and the ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, all of which are ultimately aimed at reassuring Southeast Asian countries that the U.S. remains bold in its commitment to the Indo-Pacific.
However, with Trump’s announcement, where tariffs range from an impressive 25% to 40%, Rubio’s task becomes harder than it should be. On top of that, Trump has threatened to impose an additional 10% tariff on BRICS countries that adopt what he calls “anti-American” policies.
But it’s not just Southeast Asian countries that see this strategy as counterproductive to strengthening U.S.-Asia cooperation. East Asian nations such as South Korea and Japan, which are longtime allies of the U.S., are also slapped with 25% tariffs each.
Citing The Guardian, analysts suggest that Asian countries are among the hardest hit by Trump's tariffs due to them receiving substantial investments from China. This, they reckon, is Trump's way of attempting to punish the world's second-largest economy.
The situation is further strained by Rubio’s absence from visits to these two countries, despite having taken office earlier this year.
Southeast Asian Countries and Their U.S.-Imposed Tariff Rates
Here is the complete list of Southeast Asian countries subject to import tariffs to the U.S.:
- Laos - 40%
- Myanmar - 40%
- Cambodia - 36%
- Thailand - 36%
- Indonesia - 32%
- Malaysia - 25%
- Vietnam - 20%
Editor’s Choice: No Discount, Trump Decides to Maintain 32 Percent Import Tariff on Indonesia
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