Asean rules out retaliation against Trump’s tariffs, to seek ‘frank dialogue’

The bloc said the levies will lead to ‘significant challenges’ for businesses and affect livelihoods of millions of people in the region

Reading Time:3 minutes

Published: 11:55am, 10 Apr 2025Updated: 3:18pm, 10 Apr 2025

Southeast Asia’s economic ministers on Thursday agreed not to retaliate against US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which in the space of a week veered between 49 and 10 per cent levies on its member states, horrifying exporters and paralysing economic planning.

Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) said the bloc will instead pursue “frank and constructive dialogue” with Washington to address trade-related concerns, including through an “enhanced, robust and forward-looking” Asean-US economic cooperation framework.

“Open communication and collaboration will be crucial to ensuring a balanced and sustainable relationship,” the ministers said in a joint statement following a meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

“In that spirit, Asean commits to not impose any retaliatory measures in response to the US tariffs.”

Malaysia, this year’s Asean chair, hosted the meeting that came just hours after Trump announced a three-month pause to the reciprocal levies he had slapped on countries worldwide with great fanfare on April 2.

It was a U-turn after days of market chaos that he indicated was needed to calm global bourses after trillions of dollars were wiped out in upheaval caused by his “Liberation Day” tariffs. A baseline 10 per cent tariff remained in force on nearly all goods imported to the US.