THE first few months of US President Donald Trump’s administration have been characterised by erratic changes to trade policy. The administration has slapped new tariffs of 10%-25% on Canada, China, and Mexico, only to defer them more than once.
The earlier threat of an across-the-board tariff, where imports from all countries are taxed at the same rate, may have been replaced by a reciprocal tariff policy. The implications of the new policy for South-East Asia are still indeterminate, as many questions remain unanswered.
