Link Securities | On Monday, US President Donald Trump announced the imposition of 25% tariffs on imports of products from Japan and South Korea, similar to the tariffs imposed on 2 April, known as ‘Liberation Day’. Malaysia also received 25% tariffs on exports of its products to the United States, while other Asian countries such as Thailand received higher tariffs (36%).
At the same time, Trump signed an executive order extending the deadline for negotiations with his partners until 1 August, leaving open the possibility of new trade agreements. In subsequent statements to the press, Trump said that 1 August is not a firm deadline and confirmed his openness to negotiating the tariffs imposed by letter if the affected countries submit different offers. The White House indicated that it is close to finalising several trade agreements, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent anticipating announcements in the next 48 hours.