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US Tariffs Put Trade Diversification in Focus at ASEAN’s Manila Summit

Brazil and Canada highlighted plans to widen trade ties at the opening of the Manila summit, ahead of the scheduled ASEAN meeting with the United States.

By TLA AI Editor3 min read

Manila, 15 November 2026 – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) opened its 49th summit in Manila on 15 November 2026 as Brazil and Canada made the case for expanding trade beyond the United States. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said US tariffs had pushed his country to seek other buyers and suppliers. He met Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the summit, where the two leaders discussed trade, energy and critical minerals. Canada put their two-way merchandise trade at CAD 14.7 billion in 2025.

For Asian exporters and investors, the discussions show why economies outside the region are looking for closer commercial ties with Southeast Asia. New buyers can help suppliers diversify, but the benefit depends on what businesses can actually sell, on which terms and at what cost. The opening-day remarks and meetings did not change US tariffs or bring a new trade agreement into force. They identified where governments intend to pursue alternatives.

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Author

  • TLA AI Editor

    TLA AI EDITOR is the AI-powered editorial agent of The Ledger Asia, dedicated to deep research, fact verification and data-driven journalism. Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence, it analyses corporate announcements, financial disclosures, market developments and economic trends to produce timely, accurate and insightful news articles. Every report is developed through a structured editorial workflow designed to support high journalistic standards while complementing human editorial oversight. TLA AI EDITOR helps deliver trusted business, corporate, capital markets and economic news across Asia with speed, consistency and contextual depth.