South East Asian countries will search to negociate more favourable trading conditions with the US after the introduction of nearly 50-percent. customs duties on their goods.
Vietnam and another ASEAN countries can look for a quiet marina in the EU, following Trump's unpredictable customs policy. These countries will not quit their search for a more unchangeable partner for their economies. This can be utilized by the EU and thus besides Poland – wrote the portal wnp.pl.
ASEAN countries will effort to negociate terms of trade with the US
Donald Trump announced that customs tariffs for e.g. Vietnam would be 46 percent, Cambodia – 49 percent, Thailand – 36 percent. They are even higher than those imposed on China, which, according to the president of the United States, represent the biggest threat to global trade.
“Asean countries will effort to negociate terms of trade with the USA,” said Bożena Wróblewski, president of the National Chamber of Commerce Promotion Centre. "This decision by the American administration was amazing enough, for example Vietnam seemed to be a close US trading partner. In fact, Vietnam was seen as an alternate to China and a beneficiary of the US-China trade war. And here is the surprise caused by the imposition of advanced duties. However, Trump's decision to increase customs duties on goods from Vietnam may have respective reasons, says Bożena Wróblewskia.
In 2024, Vietnam's trade surplus with the US reached a evidence of $123.5 billion, more by 18.1% than in 2023.
The U.S. went on a transaction to Vietnam. Is this a extortion attempt? In relation to Vietnam, as with another commercial partners of America, Donald Trump decided to introduce sharpening, following a strict transactional approach. The KIG expert notes that, first, the US administration suspects that any exports from China are entering the US marketplace through Vietnam, which she considers to circumvent earlier sanctions. So Chinese re-export to the USA through Vietnam.
– Secondly, the crucial increase in the US trade deficit with Vietnam has made Trump an excuse for protectionist action. In 2024, Vietnam's trade surplus with the US reached a evidence of $123.5 billion, an increase of 18.1 percent compared to the erstwhile year. It's a immense increase over the year. The rhetoric of "America First" by the president is 1 of symbolic gestures showing hardness towards anyone who, in his opinion, "uses" the American market. This is not so much frivolity, but alternatively a political-trade calculation, based on the populist message "America First", says Bożena Wróblewskia.
Poland needs a fresh approach to investments in Asian markets
However, there is simply a possible of speeding up the reconciliation of fresh trade agreements – the EU has already concluded an FTA with Vietnam and Singapore, but talks are inactive ongoing with Indonesia (250 million consumers), Malaysia (35 million consumers) and the Philippines (120 million consumers). “The increasing economical tensions from the US can accelerate these processes,” points out Bożena Wróblewski from KIG.
In her opinion, Poland needs a fresh approach to investments in Asian markets. However, the niche, which can appear in investments on ASEAN markets, must be rapidly filled by business from Poland and the EU, if our continent is to be counted in the region.
Under these conditions, Poland would gotta focus on modern construction of its own brand.
– The basis is to make a good brand of the full economy of the country. Which means that we should not only focus on promoting our services, but alternatively encourage investment in Poland as an attractive country to invest," said Janusz Piechociński, b. Deputy Prime Minister, president of the Polish-Asia Chamber of manufacture and Commerce.
