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Message: [QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 51248, member: 636"] Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan revealed that the recent ASEAN gathering became a crucial lifeline for member nations scrambling to tackle American trade penalties. Each country plans to chart its course through direct talks with Washington rather than presenting a united front. Trump keeps the door open for individual negotiations by personally reaching out to each nation with invitation letters. The strategy appears to be working as several countries already secured better deals than initially threatened. ASEAN leaders recognize that going solo might yield better results than group bargaining. Trump slapped fresh trade penalties on 14 nations earlier this week with rates jumping between 25 and 40 percent. Vietnam scored a major victory by getting its rate slashed from 46 percent down to just 20 percent. Cambodia also celebrated after seeing its burden drop from 49 percent to 36 percent. Laos and Myanmar both managed to negotiate their rates down to 40 percent from higher starting points. Malaysia faces a slight bump up to 25 percent while Indonesia and Thailand maintain their current levels. ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn announced plans for a special joint meeting before the October summit in Kuala Lumpur. The gathering will bring together foreign and economic ministers to craft a stronger regional response to global trade turbulence. Six rounds of discussions have already taken place focusing on American trade policy shifts and economic uncertainties. Malaysia secured permission for additional talks between its trade minister and American officials. The country exports massive amounts of electronics to America and wants clarity on future tariff structures. [/QUOTE]

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