Trump Signs Peace, Trade Deals in Malaysia

President Trump blasted the United Nations for not being more involved in ending wars as he signed peace and trade deals Sunday with the leaders of Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia — with the three nations pledging to boost US economic ties in exchange for lower tariffs.

Trump, 79, said the peace accord formalizing a truce he brokered between Cambodia and Thailand in July may save “millions of lives” in the two Southeast Asian nations, which were represented by their prime ministers at the ceremony in the Malaysian capital.

After fighting ended, Trump lowered his “reciprocal” tariffs for both Cambodia and Thailand to 19% — down from threatened rates of 49% and 36%, respectively.

New trade deals with Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand further lower tariff rates.

The Cambodia trade deal, for example, reduces tariff rates on most clothing exports essential to the local economy, which will now have a rate of between 7% and 15%, according to an extensive spreadsheet.

Cambodia, in turn, committed to buy 10 Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes for its national airline.

The White House did not immediately specify new rates for Thai and Malaysian goods, but statements on all three deals said the nations’ new “reciprocal” tariff rates could end up as low as “zero percent” for certain products.

Later Sunday, the White House said similar reconsideration would apply to Vietnam, which pledged to buy 50 Boeing planes for $8 billion and to buy $2.9 billion in US agricultural goods.

Thailand, meanwhile, agreed to $2.6 billion in additional purchases of US agricultural products, including corn and soybeans, and to buy $5.4 billion in American energy, including liquified natural gas, plus purchase 80 US-made aircraft for $18.8 billion, according to a White House fact sheet.

Malaysia agreed to buy 30 planes and to spend $150 billion on US technology hardware, including semiconductors, in addition to buying $3.4 billion per year of liquified natural gas and $204 million in coal and telecom products and making $70 billion in investments in the US.

New critical minerals agreements with Thailand and Malaysia outline plans for future investments and a “pricing framework including price floors or similar measures” in response to Chinese export controls.