This is how Asia Pacific is responding to Trump's reciprocal tariffs

Trump's 10 per cent baseline tariffs take effect, steeper duties start on April 9

President Donald Trump’s 10 per cent baseline tariffs on US trading partners around the world came into effect on Saturday. While the baseline charge has kicked in, higher duties on some countries — which replace, rather than add to the 10 per cent rate — are due to start on April 9. 

Here’s how the region is responding:

Australia

Reciprocal Tariff: 10 per cent  Response: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the US tariff a “poor decision” and said he would not respond with reciprocal levies. The nation also won’t take action via the World Trade Organization at this stage.

Bangladesh

Reciprocal Tariff: 37 per cent

 

Response: Bangladesh said it is looking to hold talks with the Trump administration to lessen the impact, particularly on the country’s $40 billion garment export industry.

Brunei

Reciprocal Tariff: 24 per cent

 

Response: The finance ministry said it’s engaging with its US counterparts to seek clarifications on the new tariffs, according to the Borneo Bulletin.

Cambodia

Reciprocal Tariff: 49 per cent

 

Response: The government said there is an immediate reduction of tariffs on 19 categories of American goods to 5 per cent from 35 per cent, without identifying the products. It is seeking talks with the US and has asked Trump to delay the tariffs due to take effect on April 9. 

China 

Reciprocal Tariff: 34 per cent

 

Response: China retaliated and will impose a 34 per cent tariff on all imports from the US starting April 10.  it also announced other measures including immediately restricting the exports of seven types of rare earths; halting imports of poultry products from two American companies and imposing export controls on 16 US firms.

Hong Kong

Reciprocal Tariff: China’s 34 per cent tariffs also apply to Hong Kong, whose special trading privileges were removed by a Trump executive order in 2020.

 

Response: Financial Secretary Paul Chan said the city won’t impose countermeasures on the US, Radio Television Hong Kong reported. Hong Kong should remain “free and open,” he said.

Fiji

Reciprocal Tariff: 32 per cent

 

Response: The Fijian government said it was engaging with the US through diplomatic and trade channels to seek clarity on the measures and explore options to mitigate their impact. In particular, it’s questioning the US’s methodology for calculating tariffs, which include currency manipulation and non-tariff trade barriers.

India

Reciprocal Tariff: 26 per cent

 

Response: India is unlikely to immediately retaliate, and is focusing efforts on negotiating a bilateral trade deal with the US to bring down duties, according to an Indian government official. 

Indonesia

Reciprocal Tariff: 32 per cent

 

Response: A delegation will head to Washington to negotiate the tariffs. President Prabowo Subianto ordered his cabinet to simplify regulations, including by easing non-tariff barriers. Indonesia is also in talks with Malaysia, which is the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to jointly take steps in addressing the tariffs, the government said.

Japan

Reciprocal Tariff: 24 per cent

 

Response: Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is seeking a phone call with Trump this week to discuss the tariffs. “Retaliating by imposing tariffs of our own is not what’s in Japan’s interests,” he said on a television program, adding “there are many options.”

Kazakhstan

Reciprocal Tariff: 27 per cent

 

Response: The government is initiating talks with the US “to discuss possibilities to not apply the additional tariffs,” the trade ministry said.

Malaysia

Reciprocal Tariff: 24 per cent

 

Response: Malaysia is not considering retaliatory tariffs. The country’s response will be “calm, firm and guided by Malaysia’s national interests,” and efforts were already underway to engage the US, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said.

 

The country, as the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, will lead efforts to coordinate a regional response toward US tariffs, he said. Anwar said he’d spoken with several Asean leaders and will reach out to those in North Asia, too.

Myanmar

Reciprocal Tariff: 44 per cent

 

Response: Myanmar is considering some measures to address the new tariffs, according to Deputy Commerce Minister Min Min, without provide any details. Officials are currently focused on relief and reconstruction after last month’s massive earthquake, he said.

New Zealand

Reciprocal Tariff: 10 per cent

 

Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said New Zealand won’t launch reciprocal tariffs against the US, in part as it would add to inflation.

Pakistan

Reciprocal Tariff: 29 per cent

 

Response: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said the government will send a high-level mission to Washington for talks, and is currently analyzing the impact and looking at the way forward.

Philippines

Reciprocal Tariff: 17 per cent

 

Response: There has been no mention of a retaliatory response. Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said she is seeking to meet with her US counterpart to discuss improving ties and is pushing for a bilateral free trade agreement. 

Singapore

Reciprocal Tariff: 10 per cent

 

Response: Its leaders said the country won’t retaliate even though it is able to do so under a free-trade agreement, and will seek talks. 

South Korea

Reciprocal Tariff: 25 per cent

 

Response: South Korea’s interim leader Han Duck-soo said the government aims to send its trade minister to the US for negotiations as soon as possible.

Sri Lanka

Reciprocal Tariff: 44 per cent

 

Response: President Anura Kumara Dissanayake appointed a committee that included the treasury secretary and central bank governor to study the potential issues from the new reciprocal tariff system and submit recommendations to the government.

Taiwan

Reciprocal Tariff: 32 per cent

 

Response: President Lai Ching-te said Taiwan doesn’t plan to retaliate with tariffs, and will make efforts to improve the reciprocal tariffs through talks with the US. Taiwan-US talks can start from “zero tariffs,” and industries such as electronics, petrochemicals and natural gas will seek to boost investments in the US, according to the presidential office. 

 

The island earlier called the tariffs unreasonable and announced NT$88 billion ($2.7 billion) in aid to help local companies cope with the impact of new tariffs.

Thailand

Reciprocal Tariff: 36 per cent

 

Response: Deputy Prime Minister Pichai Chunhavajira will visit the US in the coming days, the government said. Proposals to US officials will include raising imports of US energy, aviation products and agricultural goods and suppressing the use of Thailand as a transit point for goods heading to the US.

Vietnam

Reciprocal Tariff: 46 per cent

 

Response: Vietnam has offered to remove all tariffs on US imports. Communist Party chief To Lam has asked that the US not apply any additional tariffs or fees on Vietnamese goods and requested the postponement of the implementation of tariffs by at least 45 days after April 9.

Others

Here’s a list of other nations and territories in the Asia Pacific that are facing US tariffs. All are charged at 10 per cent unless otherwise stated. Most have yet to comment officially on the tariffs.

 

• Afghanistan
• Azerbaijan
• Bhutan
• Christmas Island, a non-self-governing external territory of Australia
• Cocos (Keeling) Islands, an Australian external territory with a population of 600 people
• Cook Islands
• French Polynesia
• Heard and McDonald Islands, an uninhabited Australian external territory
• Kiribati
• Kyrgyzstan
• Laos at 48 per cent
• Maldives
• Marshall Islands
• Micronesia
• Mongolia
• Nauru at 30 per cent
• Nepal
• Norfolk Island at 29 per cent
• Papua New Guinea
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Tajikistan
• Timor-Leste
• Tokelau, a dependent territory of New Zealand
• Tonga
• Turkmenistan
• Tuvalu
• Uzbekistan
• Vanuatu at 22 per cent

North Korea is among a handful of nations globally that have been exempted from the latest tariffs.