Trump’s ‘Napkin’ Trade Deals Are Worry for SE Asia, Analyst Says

Nations and businesses need to remain prepared for challenging impacts from US tariffs after next month’s deadline for trade deals, as agreements struck so far are short on firm details or commitments, according to a key policy watcher.

“I’ve been calling them napkin deals, because I think they are about as durable as a paper napkin and they’re about as well specified as you could write on a paper napkin,” Deborah Elms, head of trade policy of the Hinrich Foundation told the Bloomberg Sustainable Business Summit in Singapore on Wednesday.

Duties set at 15% ...