HO CHI MINH CITY/SINGAPORE/BANGKOK — Southeast Asian countries boosted exports to the U.S. ahead of President Donald Trump announcing his “reciprocal” tariffs in April, but there are concerns that this will only eat into American demand for manufactured goods later this year.
Malaysia’s exports to the U.S. in March climbed 51% on the year to 22.6 billion ringgit ($5.23 billion). Increases were seen in electronics, especially semiconductors, as well as machinery and rubber products.
