ASEAN Geoeconomics Series No. 2: US Tariffs and Centrality

The United States is increasingly using tariffs and trade measures as tools of economic strategy. For Southeast Asia, the impacts extend beyond market access to investment flows, supply chains, and regional cooperation.This volume explores how recent US tariff policies and bilateral trade initiatives affect ASEAN's ability to function in the global economy. As external partners engage more directly with individual member states, ASEAN faces a critical question: can regional unity be maintained while pursuing individual economic opportunities?This edition analyzes the geoeconomic forces reshaping ASEAN's external economic environment and evaluates what they mean for ASEAN's bargaining power, regional integration, and economic stability. It also examines how stronger coordination mechanisms can ensure that engagement with external partners reinforces, rather than weakens, regional cohesion.Written for policymakers, analysts, and business practitioners, this study explains why trade policy has become strategic-and what it means for ASEAN's future.