Rubio’s arrival in Kuala Lumpur for a meeting of Asean foreign ministers came after US president Donald Trump ramped up his trade war this week.
US officials said ahead of the trip that Washington was “prioritising” its commitment to East Asia and Southeast Asia.
But Trump has also threatened more than 20 countries, many in Asia, with punitive duties ranging from 20% to 50%, and announced a 50% toll on copper imports and a possible 200% tariff on pharmaceuticals.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim warned Asia’s top diplomats yesterday of a new era where tariffs were among the “sharpened instruments of geopolitical rivalry”.
“This is no passing storm, it is a new weather of our time,” Anwar said as the meeting of the 10-nation bloc got underway.
Trump said Monday that the duties he had suspended in April would snap back – even more steeply – on Aug 1.
Among those targeted were top trade partners Japan and South Korea, which each face 25% tariffs.
Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Myanmar – all Asean members – face duties ranging from 20% to 40% if they do not strike deals with Washington by Trump’s new deadline.
The levels were not too far from those originally threatened in April, although some rates were notably lower this time.
Vietnam, which is also an Asean member, is one of only two countries to have reached a tentative agreement with Trump.
During his first visit to Asia as secretary of state, Rubio will attend a post-ministerial conference and a meeting by East Asian foreign ministers which will also see Japan, South Korea and China participating.
A senior US official said the issue of tariffs was expected to be raised at the talks in Kuala Lumpur, and that Rubio would likely tell Asean that the US wants to “rebalance” its trade relationships.
Rubio’s visit coincides with that of his Russian and Chinese counterparts, Sergei Lavrov and Wang Yi.
Territorial disputes
Chinese actions in the Asia-Pacific region and its disputed waterways are in focus at the gathering.
Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, ignoring rival claims of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei, and an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.
China and the Philippines – which has a defence treaty with the US – have engaged in years of confrontations in the waters.
Chinese and Japanese patrol vessels in the East China Sea also routinely face off around disputed islands.
The tensions have driven the Philippines and Japan to deepen ties with the US.
In January, Rubio said the US under Trump remained committed to the Philippines’s defence.
Last month, the Philippines, US and Japan held joint coast guard exercises for the second time as a show of unity against Chinese activity in hotly contested waters.