Before a 90-day pause was announced by US President Donald Trump on the implementation of US tariffs, six of nine Southeast Asian countries targeted by the US administration were slapped with much bigger-than-expected tariffs of between 32 percent and 49 percent.

   By comparison, the level for the European Union was 20 percent, Japan’s was 24 percent and India’s 27 percent.

   «We express our common intention to engage in a frank and constructive dialogue with the US to address trade-related concerns. Open communication and collaboration will be crucial to ensuring a balanced and sustainable relationship,» the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ economic ministers said in a statement, which expressed concern about the tariffs and their impact.

   Following a meeting on Thursday, the ministers said they reaffirmed their support for a predictable, fair, and rules-based multilateral trading system.

   The 10-member ASEAN is collectively the world’s fifth-biggest economy. Its members are heavily reliant on exports as a driver of growth.

   The special meeting was chaired by Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Zafrul Aziz. Malaysia holds the rotating chair of the 10-member regional bloc.

   Its members, which count on the United States as their main export market, were among those hit with the toughest levies by Trump.

   Manufacturing powerhouse Vietnam was hit with a 46 percent tariff on exports to the United States while neighbouring Cambodia — a major producer of low-cost clothing for big Western brands — was slapped with a 49 percent duty.

   The other ASEAN members hit with hefty tariffs are Laos (48 percent), Myanmar (44 percent), Thailand (36 percent) and Indonesia (32 percent). Malaysia, Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy, was hit with a lower tariff of 24 percent. Brunei also faces a 24 percent tariff, while the Philippines was hit with 17 percent and Singapore 10 percent.