Rubio to make first Asia visit after Trump unveils tariffs on host and allies

(Patria) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Malaysia for meetings with Southeast Asian countries, his first trip to Asia in that role, the State Department announced, after President Donald Trump announced high tariffs on the host and regional partners and allies.

The State Department described the trip from July 8 to 12 as a move reaffirming Washington's commitment to the Indo-Pacific. A few hours later, Trump said that from August 1 he would impose 25% tariffs on imports from Japan and South Korea, key U.S. regional allies and vital partners in countering China's growing power, Reuters reported.

Trump also announced plans for tariffs on Malaysia and five other countries in the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), whose ministers Rubio will join for meetings in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia faces a 25 percent tariff, Laos and Myanmar 40, Cambodia and U.S. ally Thailand 36, and Indonesia 32.

Rubio will seek to solidify U.S. relations with partners and allies unsettled by Trump's global tariff strategy. Trump's announcements have certainly made that task more difficult.

The trip is seen as part of a renewed U.S. focus on the Indo-Pacific and efforts to look beyond conflicts in the Middle East and Europe that have consumed the Trump administration's attention.

"The main themes he will want to address, obviously, are reaffirming our commitment to East Asia, ASEAN, the Indo-Pacific," a senior State Department official told reporters. "I think the key message the secretary wants to convey is that we are committed and we are prioritizing this because it is in America's interest, right? It promotes American prosperity and promotes American security."

ASEAN countries are nervous about Trump's tariffs and have questioned the willingness of his "America First" administration to fully engage diplomatically and economically in the region.

Tariffs also for BRICS countries

On Sunday, Trump said the U.S. was close to finalizing several trade agreements and would notify other countries of higher tariff rates by July 9.

He also sent a message to the BRICS group of developing countries as its leaders met in Brazil, threatening additional ten percent tariffs on any that align with "anti-American" policies.

BRICS countries include Indonesia, China and India.

Last week, Trump announced he had reached a trade agreement with important Southeast Asian partner and ASEAN member Vietnam and could reach one with India. But he expressed doubt about a possible agreement with Japan, which is not only Washington's main Asian ally but also a major investor in the U.S.
Rubio has not yet visited Japan, nor South Korea, another major U.S. ally in Northeast Asia, since taking office in January, even though Washington sees the Indo-Pacific as its main strategic priority given the perceived threat from China.

South Korean President's security adviser, Wi Sung-lac, traveled to Washington on Sunday for trade and defense talks, as Seoul seeks to avert U.S. tariffs.

He wants to meet with Rubio and discuss a possible summit between Trump and President Lee Jae Myung, who took office last month.