Minimal impact seen for Asean

Chua: As long as overall trade in the region is growing, any increase in the US interest rate will not hurt countries in the region, probably not in the near term.

Region’s exports, domestic demand expected to offset effects of US interest rate hike

POSSIBLE monetary tightening by the Federal Reserve of the United States (US) in 2018 is unlikely to hit Asean significantly, as the region’s growth is expected to be buttressed by exports and robust domestic demand.