Southeast Asia searches for a U.S. trade deal, but the damage from Trump’s tariffs is already done

(Credit: Samsul Said—Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Southeast Asia got some of the worst of U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, with steep duties imposed on countries like Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand. Leaders throughout the region are now frantically trying to negotiate with the White House to see if they can get a reprieve.

But regardless of how those negotiations go, the damage may have already been done. Governments throughout Southeast Asia are already tempering growth expectations as global uncertainty threatens the region’s export-reliant economic model.