Intra-regional trade expected to mitigate uncertainty caused by US tariffs — academic

Asian countries exporting to the US must bolster intra-regional trade to mitigate any disruptions caused by US tariffs, an academic said.

- By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz Reporter

“Maybe for some very export-oriented Asian economies, this is a wake-up call. They need to say, ‘We need to find, diversify, and try to see if we can trade with each other,” Waya Quiviger, Professor of Practice of Global Governance and Development at IE University in Madrid, told BusinessWorld.

“But if we're selling the same things, we can’t trade with each other... So, diversify your economy... Maybe try to (develop) the domestic market, which is very hard to do,” Ms. Quiviger said.

US President Donald J. Trump in April imposed reciprocal tariffs on most of the world, but paused the scheme for 90 days pending negotiations. In the interim, he charged a 10% tariff on most trading partners.