5 h. ago Malaysia’s Anwar to confront Rubio over US tariffs amid fears about 25% levy

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Wednesday that US tariffs would be at the forefront of his agenda when he meets US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week, as the Southeast Asian nation strives to negotiate a reprieve from punitive levies threatening to stifle economic growth and devastate export-reliant industries. The urgency stems from a move made on Monday by US President Donald Trump, who dispatched letters to the leaders of 14 countries threatening tariffs ranging from 25...

Events

6 h. ago ‘Very optimistic’: Indonesia vows to press on with US talks despite 32% tariff

Indonesia has vowed to press on with negotiations despite US President Donald Trump’s decision to maintain 32 per cent tariffs on the country, even as it intensifies diplomatic efforts to seek alternative export markets, including fellow members of the Brics bloc. The Southeast Asian nation is one of 14 countries notified by Trump via letters on Monday that the unilateral tariffs he announced in April would take effect on August 1. Trump delayed the levies’ implementation by 90 days to allow...

Politics

21 h. ago East Asia faces fresh US tariffs, China rare earth curbs: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Apparently impatient Trump slaps 25% tariffs on Japan, South Korea US President Donald Trump, apparently impatient with the slow progress of negotiations, on Monday slapped 25 per cent unilateral tariffs on Japan and South Korea and equal or higher import taxes on several other nations ahead of a self-imposed Wednesday deadline. 2. Rare earth dominance: why...

Politics

23 h. ago China says it will retaliate on unfavorable deals after Trump warns Asia of higher tariffs

China says it will retaliate on unfavorable deals after Trump warns Asia of higher tariffs  NBC News

Events

24 h. ago More uncertainty ahead for Asia as Trump shifts goalposts on tariffs again

Asia could face a prolonged period of trade uncertainty after US President Donald Trump extended the deadline for imposing higher import tariffs to August 1. Trump told trade partners on Monday that the new deadline was final, though he might grant further extensions if countries submitted acceptable proposals. He also confirmed plans to impose a 25 per cent tariff on imports from Japan and South Korea in letters posted on his social media platform, warning: “If for any reason you decide to...

Politics

28 h. ago ‘Truly regrettable’: Trump slaps 25% tariffs on South Korea and Japan. What now?

US President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement of 25 per cent tariffs on imports from key trade partners including South Korea and Japan has been viewed less as a final blow and more as a high-stakes bargaining tactic. The move highlights Trump’s preference for brinkmanship-style deal-making and leaves room for diplomacy, as Seoul races to craft its response ahead of the new August 1 deadline, according to analysts. South Korea’s presidential office convened an emergency meeting of cabinet...

Politics

30 h. ago China warns Trump on tariffs, threatens retaliation on supply chain deals By Reuters

China warns Trump on tariffs, threatens retaliation on supply chain deals By Reuters  Investing.com

Events

30 h. ago China warns Trump on tariffs, threatens retaliation on supply chain deals

China warns Trump on tariffs, threatens retaliation on supply chain deals  Reuters

Events

36 h. ago Apparently impatient Trump slaps 25% tariffs on Japan, South Korea

US President Donald Trump, apparently impatient with the slow progress of negotiations, on Monday slapped 25 per cent unilateral tariffs on Japan and South Korea and equal or higher import taxes on several other nations ahead of a self-imposed Wednesday deadline. Analysts said the move shows that the mercurial American leader is using threats to jump-start negotiations. Trump sent two-page letters to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung saying the new...

Politics

38 h. ago China Reroutes Exports Through Southeast Asia to Evade Trump Tariffs

China Reroutes Exports Through Southeast Asia to Evade Trump Tariffs  AgWeb

Politics

50 h. ago Trump’s Vietnam tariff pact challenges Asean unity in key summit

Southeast Asian nations are scrambling to recalibrate their approach to US tariffs ahead of a key diplomatic gathering that starts in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, as Washington’s preference for one-on-one trade deals casts doubt over Asean’s collective bargaining power. US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced a delay to the next round of his sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs – pushing the deadline from July 9 to August 1 – to give time for finalising deals with 18 major trade partners,...

Politics

4 d. ago Southeast Asia Digest: Caught Between U.S. Tariff and China Shadow

Southeast Asia Digest: Caught Between U.S. Tariff and China Shadow  The China-Global South Project

Events

5 d. ago Indonesia banks on critical minerals to avert US tariffs – will it work?

Indonesia is banking on its rich reserves of critical minerals to persuade the United States to pull back steep looming tariffs – an offer that could appeal to American strategic interests even as concerns remain about regulatory risks and China’s entrenched role in the country’s mineral supply chains. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto has described Indonesia’s critical minerals proposal as its “second-best offer” to avert a looming 32 per cent tariff under President...

Economics

6 d. ago Can Rubio’s Asia tour ease region’s anxiety over looming US tariffs?

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio heads to Asia next week on a high-profile diplomatic tour, but his visit is not expected to ease growing anxiety in Southeast Asia, which is bracing itself for the return of steep US tariffs that threaten to derail growth and test ties with Washington. Rubio is expected to fly to Kuala Lumpur for meetings on July 10-11 with foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and other Asia-Pacific countries, according to media reports. He...

Politics

8 d. ago Japan races against time to avoid US car tariffs as deadline looms

Japan’s top negotiator has made a last-ditch trip to Washington in hopes of heading off a steep US tariff on Japanese cars – but with just over a week to go, and President Donald Trump doubling down in recent comments, analysts say neither side appears willing to compromise. Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s chief trade envoy on the issue, flew into the US capital on Thursday and spoke twice to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick by phone over the weekend. But he failed to secure a meeting with Treasury...

Economics

3 w. ago Nomura Says US to Set High Asia Tariffs to Stop China Rerouting

Nomura Says US to Set High Asia Tariffs to Stop China Rerouting  Bloomberg.com

Politics

3 w. ago Trump tariffs challenge Asean’s unity and economic stability

When US President Donald Trump’s tariff chaos eventually calms, its long-lasting consequences will significantly affect the area just south of China and east of India – Southeast Asia – and its organisational bloc, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Trump’s focus on protectionism is likely to replace uniform tariffs with varying import taxes for different countries. This shift could create divisive and harmful effects for Southeast Asia and Asean, which are interchangeable but...

Economics

3 w. ago Chinese solar firms bank on overseas expansion to survive amid US tariffs

Chinese solar and energy-storage companies will continue to press ahead with their overseas expansion with or without a long-term agreement on trade tariffs, as production abroad holds the key to their long-term survival, according to executives at China’s largest solar industry exhibition. Although the US and China reached a 90-day truce in their ongoing tariff war in May, solar panel exports from China and Southeast Asia to the US are still subject to tariffs of as much as 3,521 per cent, with...

Economics