United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has taken center stage in international trade discussions this week, especially in talks with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations also known as ASEAN. According to Reuters reporting from Kuala Lumpur, Greer addressed economic ministers from the ten ASEAN countries. During the meeting, he highlighted ongoing negotiations to strike new trade deals with countries in Southeast Asia over the next several months. Greer confirmed that some tariff agreements had already been announced, while others are still in the process of being finalized.

One major point of discussion has been the imposition of new United States tariffs on goods from Southeast Asian countries, with rates set at nineteen and twenty percent across most of the region. Laos and Myanmar have been hit hardest, facing tariffs at forty percent, while Singapore has the lowest rate among ASEAN members at ten percent. Greer explained that discussions with individual countries are progressing, including agreements reached with Indonesia and Vietnam. However, both nations have stated that terms are still being finalized on their end. The stakes are high for Vietnam. The United Nations Development Programme estimates it could lose twenty five billion dollars annually due to the tariffs at their current levels.

ASEAN economic ministers responded with concern; in a joint statement on Tuesday, they warned of negative impacts and ongoing uncertainty arising from the changing United States tariff landscape. They noted that the new tariffs have already caused companies to shift the timing of their exports, leading to what they called slower regional trade in the second half of twenty twenty five. The ministers also expressed concern about what they see as rising protectionism and unilateral trade measures, warning that these trends could threaten the multilateral trading system and global supply chains as a whole.

Greer emphasized that the United States still welcomes trade with ASEAN, but insists that it must become, as he put it, balanced and reciprocal. Speaking to the press, Greer made it clear that while negotiations are the focus right now, the United States is not ruling out the possibility of more tariffs if agreements are not reached. He also highlighted the critical role of semiconductors in both the American and ASEAN economies. While President Trump has previously signaled interest in one hundred percent tariffs on imported semiconductors, Greer noted that no such measures have been put in place yet, and negotiations are ongoing to protect both national security and supply chain stability, especially in light of how much Southeast Asian economies rely on this sector.

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