Malaysia has withdrawn from its trade agreement with the United States and become the first country to exit Washington’s reciprocal‑tariff strategy. The move opens the door for other countries to take similar action.

On March 19, the World Trade Organization (WTO) warned that the conflict in the Middle East could put significant pressure on global trade, which is already slowing down, with forecasts predicting that merchandise trade volume will only increase by 1.4% this year compared to 4.6% in 2025.

Fresh trade tensions between Brussels and Washington are pushing transatlantic commerce back to the centre of the political agenda, after the United States opened new investigations into alleged unfair practices by the European Union and 15 other trading partners.

Trade between China and the European Union rose sharply in the first two months of 2026, underlining how global trade flows are being reshaped by renewed geopolitical tension, American tariff pressure and Europe’s own unease about industrial dependence.

Amid global trade tensions, the United States and President Donald Trump’s implementation of tariffs on imports have garnered the most headlines.

U.S. President Donald Trump's request to delay the planned summit in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping casts a shadow over mutual ties that have been stable since their last meeting in October, but is unlikely to cause a major setback, analysts said.

Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell and EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič say negotiations are moving forward again, reviving the prospect of a free trade agreement that collapsed in 2023 over agriculture and market access.

US regulatory agencies are increasing controls on imported seafood, focusing on antibiotic residues, compliance with HACCP food safety systems, and traceability requirements. Therefore, Vietnamese seafood businesses need to proactively tighten supply chain management to ensure quality and maintain market share in this market.

India has said it will finalise a bilateral trade deal with the United States only after there is clarity on global tariff rates following a recent court ruling in the US that struck Trump's previous tariff down.

The US trade deficit narrowed more sharply than expected