Trump leads a rush of trade agreements and truce signings during his first Asian visit
President Donald Trump of the United States got off to a fast start on Sunday during the first leg of his Asian tour by signing an enlarged truce between Thailand and Cambodia that he mediated in July and announcing a number of commercial agreements in Malaysia.
Trump met with regional leaders, announced trade agreements with four nations, and met with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva within six hours of arriving in Kuala Lumpur for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit. Lula da Silva stated that their teams would begin tariff talks right away.
Following a second day of meetings in Kuala Lumpur, where top trade officials from both countries agreed on a framework for a trade agreement, Trump also expressed confidence that he could work out a deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of an anticipated meeting on Thursday.
Bangkok-Thailand Peacefire
The signing of a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand, which followed Trump’s intervention to stop fatal border skirmishes and earned him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination from Cambodia, was Trump’s top priority on Sunday.
Trump, who has promoted himself as a global truce-broker, said the pact showed his administration’s pursuit of peace “in every region where we can do it” at a ceremony with the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia before a backdrop draped in U.S. insignia and the words “Delivering Peace.”
“My administration immediately began working to prevent the conflict from escalating,” said President Trump. “Everybody was sort of amazed that we got it done so quickly.”
DEESCALATION OF THE TRADE WAR TALKS
Trump was welcomed by the PM of Malaysia and a group of ceremonial dancers upon his arrival, and he momentarily stopped to dance with the performers on the red carpet.
In an effort to prevent a trade war between the two biggest economies in the world from getting worse, U.S. and Chinese negotiators met on the sidelines while he mixed with other leaders.
The conference, according to U.S. negotiators, had created a “successful framework” for the anticipated negotiations between Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi in South Korea.
Trump told reporters, “I think we’re going to have a deal with China,” while Li Chenggang, the senior trade negotiator for Beijing, confirmed that “very intense consultations” had led to a preliminary accord.
In response to China’s increased export restrictions on rare earths, Trump warned fresh 100% tariffs on Chinese imports and other trade restrictions beginning on November 1. Both sides are trying to prevent the trade war from getting worse.
Hours after arriving in Malaysia, Trump and the White House announced six trade agreements with four nations, some of which were surprising—such as arrangements involving vital minerals with Malaysia and Thailand—as Beijing competed in the quickly expanding industry.
The nations said Malaysia pledged not to impose quotas or prohibit exports of rare earth elements or essential minerals to the United States. They did not clarify if Malaysia’s commitment covered rare earths in their raw or processed form.
Trump also revealed specific plans for expanded trade agreements with Thailand and Cambodia, while the White House said that an agreement had been reached with Vietnam to provide exporters in both nations “unprecedented” access to each other’s markets.
“The United States is fully on your side.”
The White House said that the United States would keep its tariff rate at 19% on the majority of exports from Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia and 20% on Vietnam. These tariffs on specific products could be removed under all of the agreements.
“Our message to the nations of Southeast Asia is that the United States is with you 100% and we intend to be a strong partner for many generations,” Trump stated while speaking to leaders of one of the territories most affected by tariffs.
As trade tensions simmer, Brazil’s Lula will seek to reduce Washington’s 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports. Following his conversation with Trump, he stated in a post on X that teams from both nations “will meet immediately to advance the search for solutions”.
Trump, who was speaking with Lula, said he was certain he would make “some pretty good deals for both countries”
After the neighbors’ negotiations abruptly ended, there was no chance of meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Trump declared on Saturday that he would raise Canada’s tariffs by an extra 10% “over what they’re paying now.”
The newest member of ASEAN is East Timor.
East Timor, Asia’s youngest country, became the 11th member of the ASEAN group on Sunday after a 14-year wait. This was a historic moment for the former Portuguese colony, which gained complete independence in 2002 after a brutal quarter-century of occupation by neighboring Indonesia.
Also referred to as Timor-Leste, the 1.4 million-person nation is among the poorest in Asia and looks forward to benefits from integrating its nascent economy, which at roughly $2 billion only makes up a small portion of ASEAN’s $3.8 trillion GDP.
“This is a powerful affirmation of our journey, not just a dream realized,” stated Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.
