 U.S. Announces Trade Agreements with Four Southeast Asian Countries |
Source |
American Shipper |
Post Date |
11/13/2025 |
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The U.S. announced Oct. 26 trade agreements with Malaysia and Cambodia as well as frameworks for trade agreements with Thailand and Vietnam.
The White House said that in the coming weeks it will (1) ?ndertake domestic formalities?so that the agreements with Malaysia and Cambodia can take effect and (2) negotiate and finalize the agreements with Cambodia and Vietnam and prepare them for signature.
According to information made available by the White House and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, highlights of these agreements include the following.
Tariffs. The U.S. will maintain existing ?eciprocal?tariffs on originating goods of Malaysia, Cambodia, and Thailand (19 percent) and Vietnam (20 percent) but will eliminate such tariffs on a specified list of products (details not yet available).
Malaysia has committed to provide ?ignificant preferential market access?for U.S. industrial goods exports, including chemicals, machinery and electrical equipment, metals, and passenger vehicles, and for U.S. agricultural exports including dairy, horticultural products, poultry, processed products, beverages, pork, rice, and fuel ethanol.
Cambodia committed to eliminate tariffs on 100 percent of U.S. industrial goods and U.S. food and agricultural products and has already implemented this commitment.
Thailand pledged to eliminate tariff barriers on approximately 99 percent of goods, covering a full range of U.S. industrial and food and agricultural products.
Vietnam will remove tariffs on almost all U.S. goods, including food and agricultural products.
The U.S. said it ?ay positively consider?the effect its agreements with Malaysia and Cambodia have on national security, including taking it into consideration when implementing any future Section 232 trade actions. No similar consideration was mentioned for Thailand or Vietnam.
Non-tariff barriers. Malaysia has committed to accepting U.S. manufactured vehicles built to U.S. motor vehicle safety and emissions standards; streamlining import licenses for U.S. alloy steel and pipe products and steel-containing goods; streamlining halal requirements for products including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices; and addressing U.S. concerns with conformity assessment procedures. Malaysia has also committed to accept currently-agreed certificates issued by U.S. regulatory authorities and implement regionalization of the U.S. for animal diseases.
Cambodia committed to streamlining and reducing import licensing and regulatory requirements, accepting U.S. manufactured vehicles built to U.S. motor vehicle safety and emissions standards, and accepting U.S. Food and Drug Administration certificates and prior marketing authorizations for medical devices and pharmaceuticals. With respect to agricultural products, Cambodia committed to recognize U.S. regulatory oversight, accept certificates issued by U.S. regulatory authorities, and recognize U.S. sanitary and phytosanitary measures and other measures for food and agricultural products.
Thailand committed to accept U.S. manufactured vehicles manufactured to comply with U.S. federal motor vehicle safety and emissions standards, to accept FDA certificates and prior marketing authorizations for medical devices and pharmaceuticals as sufficient to meet Thailand? requirements, to issue import permits for U.S. ethanol for fuel, to remove its customs reward tem related to customs breaches and penalties, and to adopt and implement good regulatory practices. Thailand also pledged to expedite access for U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service-certified meat and poultry products, ensure that requirements imposed on U.S. horticultural products are science- and risk-based, and accept currently-agreed certificates issued by U.S. regulatory authorities.
Vietnam has agreed to accept vehicles built to U.S. motor vehicle safety and emissions standards; allow imports of remanufactured goods from the U.S.; approve ping marketing authorizations for U.S. medical devices that are legally approved or cleared in the U.S. and previously marketed in Vietnam, and to expedite approvals for new import license applications; streamline regulatory requirements and approvals for U.S. pharmaceutical products and ext the valid time periods for import licenses for goods with cryptography; and fully implement certain international intellectual property treaties. Vietnam also committed to address and prevent barriers to U.S. agricultural products in its market, including with regard to U.S. regulatory oversight and acceptance of currently agreed certificates issued by U.S. regulatory authorities.
Other. Malaysia, Cambodia, and Thailand committed to refrain from imposing digital services taxes that discriminate against U.S. companies and to take other measures to facilitate digital trade, while the U.S. it ?ill finalize commitments on digital trade?with Vietnam. The agreements with these countries also include (or are planned to include) commitments on intellectual property protection and enforcement, customs and trade facilitation, good regulatory practices, and distortionary behaviors of state-owned enterprises. Partner countries have also committed to strengthening economic and national security cooperation and enhancing supply chain resilience and innovation, addressing duty evasion, and cooperating on investment security and export controls.
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