As the threat of United States reciprocal tariffs creates an uncertain future for Malaysia and the world, the government aims to strengthen ties with Europe, says Liew Chin Tong.

Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman says China will need to strike a trade deal with the United States quickly as it can’t win a drawn-out trade war that will do severe damage to its economy.

U.S. tariffs will have multiplier effects that will "generate a broader negative income and demand shock to the Singapore economy", the Monetary Authority of Singapore said in its macroeconomic review released on Monday.

Thailand faces a severe trade challenge following the US announcement of 36 per cent tariffs on Thai goods. The Shinawatra government's dual strategy — appeasing Washington while courting Beijing — has backfired, alienating Western trade partners following the deportation of 40 Uyghurs to China. With its export-driven economy threatened and auto manufacturing in decline, Thailand must balance diplomatic relations and pursue structural reforms to survive mounting trade pressures.

US President Donald Trump suggested another delay to his higher so-called “reciprocal” tariffs is unlikely, raising pressure on nations to negotiate trade deals with his administration.

President Donald Trump asserted on Thursday that trade talks between the U.S. and China are underway, pushing back against Chinese claims that no discussions have taken place to ease the ongoing trade war.

China on Thursday denied any suggestion that it was in active negotiations with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump over tariffs, saying that any notion of progress in the matter was as groundless as “trying to catch the wind.”

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he could re-impose “reciprocal” tariffs on some countries in as soon as two or three weeks, a potentially significant re-escalation of the global trade war that has already raised fears of a US and global recession.

China appears to have quietly rolled back retaliatory tariffs of 125% on some semiconductors made in the US, according to details provided to CNN on Friday by three import agencies in the southern technology hub of Shenzhen.

China’s government is considering suspending its 125% tariff on some US imports, people familiar with the matter said, as the economic costs of the tit-for-tat trade war weigh heavily on certain industries.