Discussions with Trump focused on strengthening the partnership between America and the region
[KUALA LUMPUR] Tariff discussions did not feature during the 47th Asean Summit, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Tuesday (Oct 28), who noted that the bloc’s exchanges with US President Donald Trump focused instead on strengthening the broader strategic partnership between America and the region.
Still, earlier on Sunday, the US signed reciprocal trade agreements with Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam to address tariff and non-tariff barriers.
Under the deals, the US will maintain a tariff rate of 19 per cent on most exports from Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia; and 20 per cent for Vietnam, indicated joint statements released by the White House.
Explaining why Singapore was not likewise signing tariff or trade agreements, PM Wong said these deals with the four Asean member states were economy-wide arrangements to set reciprocal tariff rates between them and Washington.
“We have not needed to, because we already have a free trade agreement with the US, and we are at a baseline of 10 per cent – and America is not going below 10 per cent, so we are not pursuing such agreements,” he said during a wrap-up interview with Singapore media at the end of the summit.
On whether sector-specific tariffs – such as those on pharmaceuticals or semiconductors – would still apply to countries that sign new trade agreements with the US, PM Wong said there remains little clarity on how Washington intends to implement these measures.
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For pharmaceuticals, he noted that American companies may be exempted from the tariffs if they reinvest in the US, while details on how the measures will apply to semiconductors have yet to be made known.
Discussions on these sectoral tariffs remain at an early stage, he added.
In any case, PM Wong said Asean leaders appreciated that Trump had taken the time to engage with the region, helped to ease border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, and reaffirmed America’s commitment as a partner to Asean.
“He said he is 100 per cent behind Asean, and Asean countries value that, because we may be in the transition to a multipolar world, but we are certainly not there yet,” he said.
PM Wong added that the US remains a key global leader, playing a vital role in the region’s peace, stability and prosperity. It also continues to be an important partner for investment, innovation, technology, finance and growth — areas where Asean countries are keen to deepen their engagement with Washington.
Regional outlook
PM Wong said one of the key takeaways from this year’s Asean Summit was the collective resolve among regional leaders to accelerate economic integration and maintain unity amid a more challenging external environment.
He noted that despite differences among member states, there was a strong shared understanding that Asean “cannot afford to be divided”, and that greater cohesion will make the bloc’s single market more competitive and attractive to investors.
“We cannot afford to allow disputes to split Asean apart, and I think it’s good that there is a very strong sense of commitment towards that,” said PM Wong.
Singapore’s 2027 chairmanship
Turning to Asean’s future, PM Wong said Singapore will seek to build on the momentum of its predecessors when it assumes the chairmanship in 2027, by deepening economic integration and strengthening the bloc’s central role in an increasingly multipolar world.
He highlighted two priorities — advancing concrete steps towards a more seamless single market, particularly in the digital and green economies, and reinforcing Asean-led frameworks that enable the bloc to engage major partners.
By 2027, he hopes to see further progress on initiatives such as an EU–Asean and a Canada–Asean free trade agreement.
“Malaysia has made very good progress in this direction,” said PM Wong, who also commended Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for his successful chairmanship.
Under Anwar, Asean welcomed Timor-Leste as its final South-east Asian member, witnessed the signing of a peace accord between Thailand and Cambodia, and coordinated a humanitarian response to the devastating earthquake in Myanmar in March.
PM Wong said Singapore will support the Philippines as it assumes the chairmanship in 2026, expressing confidence that Manila will build on the momentum established under Malaysia’s leadership.
