Donald Trump’s latest act of trade brinkmanship risks creating a “tariff wall” around the manufacturing hubs of south-east Asia, leading to higher prices and tough choices for US consumers and industry, analysts warn.

Vietnam remains the region’s largest apparel exporter to the U.S., sending roughly $18.6 billion worth of goods in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Cambodia follows with $7.8 billion, then Indonesia at $6.4 billion, Thailand at $2.7 billion, and Malaysia at $1.6 billion.

Williams also added that tariffs on Southeast Asian countries could have unintended consequences. He said that many companies had moved operations from China to countries like Vie