Countries in Southeast Asia, major sources of exports to the U.S., are angling to accommodate President Donald Trump rather than retaliate against his punishing tariffs, seeking to keep exports flowing to one of their biggest markets.
Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia have said in recent days that they’re open to negotiations over the “reciprocal tariffs” Trump announced this week, while Singapore, a finance and trade hub, said it didn’t plan to strike back.
The offers come as nations worldwide weigh how to respond to Trump’s decision to slap tariffs from 10% to as high as 50% on every country. Since his announcement, trillions of dollars in market value have been wiped out globally and triggered widespread recession alarms. Southeast Asia’s offers to negotiate contrast with China’s immediate retaliation, while the European Union is preparing its own countermeasures if talks fail.
