ASEAN Leaders: Trade agreements with the US should not harm member countries.

Leaders of Southeast Asia defend economic interests against agreements with the US

Leaders of Southeast Asia clearly do not want agreements with the US to harm their economies. This was stated by Malaysian Prime Minister and ASEAN Chair Anwar Ibrahim. They agreed that it is necessary to protect the interests of the region as a whole during trade tariff agreements with the Americans.

'Continuing bilateral negotiations... a consensus emerged regarding a certain understanding with ASEAN that decisions should not be made at the expense of any other country,' Anwar noted. 'Therefore, we will have to protect the territory of 650 or 660 million people,' he added.

Threat of trade war and serious consequences for Southeast Asia

The ASEAN summit took place against the backdrop of disputes in global market conditions and the threat of a trade war following tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. Southeast Asia will seriously suffer from these actions. Six countries in the region may face tariffs ranging from 32% to 49% in the summer if negotiations to reduce them do not yield results.

Leaders of Southeast Asia decided that it is essential to ensure the protection of the region's economic interests during negotiations with the United States. This becomes especially important in tough times of global trade disputes, and they emphasized the importance of uniting to ensure resilience and prosperity in the region.