The leaders met this week in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for a summit that included high-profile delegations from China and the Gulf States.
Southeast Asian leaders called out US President Donald Trump’s tariff plans as causing uncertainties in commerce with their region’s largest export customer and underscoring an “urgency of diversifying trade beyond traditional markets”.
“We express deep concern over the recent announcement by the United States to impose unilateral tariffs and their potential impact on our economies,” the leaders said, according to a statement by the chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations released Tuesday night.
