Trump strikes flurry of deals on critical minerals, trade at ASEAN

MALAYSIA TO REFRAIN FROM BANNING EXPORTS OF RARE EARTH ELEMENTS TO US

- REUTERS

THE UNITED STATES signed a flurry of deals on trade and critical minerals with four Southeast Asian partners on Sunday, looking to address trade imbalances and diversify supply chains amid tighter export curbs on rare earths by China.

US President Donald Trump, who is in Kuala Lumpur to attend a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), signed reciprocal trade deals with his Malaysian and Cambodian counterparts, as well as a framework trade pact with Thailand that will see the countries work to address tariff and non-tariff barriers.