The United States announced finalized trade deals Sunday with two Southeast Asian nations — Cambodia and Malaysia — that contain provisions aimed against China, and further progress with two others in the region, Thailand and Vietnam.
The news came as President Donald Trump was in Malaysia for a regional leaders summit, and just days before he is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The two final deals and two framework agreements announced Sunday cover about 68 percent of approximately $475 billion in U.S. two-way trade with the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
“These landmark deals demonstrate that America can maintain tariffs to shrink the goods trade deficit while opening new markets for American farmers, ranchers, workers, and manufacturers,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement.