Donald Trump’s latest act of trade brinkmanship risks creating a “tariff wall” around the manufacturing hubs of south-east Asia, leading to higher prices and tough choices for US consumers and industry, analysts warn.

Vietnam remains the region’s largest apparel exporter to the U.S., sending roughly $18.6 billion worth of goods in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Cambodia follows with $7.8 billion, then Indonesia at $6.4 billion, Thailand at $2.7 billion, and Malaysia at $1.6 billion.

By bno - Taipei Office The decision to delay a swathe of steep new tariffs on a wide range of global imports until August 1 by Donald Trump has prompted a cautious response from East and Southeast Asia,