Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim warned Wednesday that global trade is being weaponized as Southeast Asia’s foreign ministers opened an annual meeting while facing the looming threat of U.S. trade tariffs.

Vietnam remains the region’s largest apparel exporter to the U.S., sending roughly $18.6 billion worth of goods in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Cambodia follows with $7.8 billion, then Indonesia at $6.4 billion, Thailand at $2.7 billion, and Malaysia at $1.6 billion.

Donald Trump’s latest act of trade brinkmanship risks creating a “tariff wall” around the manufacturing hubs of south-east Asia, leading to higher prices and tough choices for US consumers and industry,