“”Liberation day,“According to the words of the American president, Donald Trump,” arrives. The White House will officially reveal new prices on the friend and the enemy on April 2 4:00 p.m. Eastern time in the rose garden, while the president seeks to retaliate Against what he considers ill-treatment by the trade partners of the United States.
Many of these business partners are in Asia, where governments are already trying to prepare for what could happen.
Monday, Vietnam – which benefits from a large trade surplus with the United States – said it Would cut Import duties on a range of products, including cars, food products and liquefied natural gas.
Vietnam has benefited from reshaping companies from their supply chains far from China; The country of Southeast Asia now has the third trade surplus with the United States which has put it at the top of the list of countries at risk of high Trump-and Hanoi could offer concessions to avoid triggering a trade war.
India also proposes to reduce import taxes on agricultural products such as almonds and cranberries, Reuters reported Last week. The South Asian country, which had a trade surplus of $ 47.5 billion with the United States last year, is said to be fully withdrawn from certain prices on imported goods.
Trump has growled India’s prices on American products, which is higher than the United States imposes on Indian products. The American president has castigated Indian protectionism as “brutalEven while praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
‘All countries’
Since its entry into office, Trump has imposed an additional 20% rate on Chinese products, 25% prices on steel and aluminum imports and 25% of automotive import prices.
There are no clear details on the prices to come on April 2, such as what level of tasks will be imposed and which countries will be assigned. However, on Sunday, Trump suggested that prices would strike “all countries” as a starting point, repelling previous reports that new trade measures could be narrower.
Many Asian governments adopt an expected approach to prices before Wednesday.
American allies like Japan, South Korea and Australia have tried to negotiate trade problems with Washington – as now, with apparently little success.
In mid-March, after having failed to obtain an exemption from the new American steel prices, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanian complain That this decision was “against the spirit of lasting friendship of our two nations”. Tuesday, his administration reiterated that they would not offer concessions in the United States to obtain an agreement.
Japan and South Korea both undertake to provide support for their industries in the event of new American rates. “We are working on this question constantly, even on weekends,” said Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Tuesday. (New American automotive rates are a threat to Japan and its automation sector.)
Then there is China, already subject to several new prices of the Trump administration. Beijing responded to new import rights by its own measures, ranging from the taxation of reprisals and the widening of its “unreliable entities” blacklist. Chinese officials said they were ready to fight against a “trade war, a tariff war or any other type of war”.
Sunday, commercial ministers from Japan, South Korea and China detained Their first economic dialogue in five years.
Companies are also preparing
In addition to steel, aluminum and cars prices, Trump has also promised new samples from semiconductors and pharmaceutical imports.
Asian companies have also promised to invest in the United States in a probable offer to avoid new prices and show Trump’s support to restore national manufacturing.
In January, the Japanese car manufacturer Honda is committed to increasing its investment in three Ohio car factories by $ 300 million to extend their capacity to build vehicles of electric vehicles, hybrids and internal combustion engine.
In March, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the first manufacturer of fleas in the world, announcement An investment of $ 100 billion to extend its operations in Arizona, to spend over the next four years. (The Taiwan government is also would have Considering the purchase of more American goods to reduce its trade surplus.)
Last week, the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai promised To invest $ 21 billion in American manufacturing, including a steel plant of $ 5.8 billion in the state of Louisiana.
However, the biggest promise comes from the gentle bank of Japan. Earlier this year, SoftBank, in partnership with Openai and Oracle, promised $ 500 billion in new investments in AI infrastructure based in the United States.
This story was initially presented on Fortune.com
