Jakarta, April 11 -- Member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must act quickly to develop more coordinated responses towards United States (US) President Trump's global 'reciprocal tariffs.'

These tariffs impose a baseline 10 percent cost levy on imports into the US from all countries, with additional higher rates applied to specific countries or products based on various factors, including trade surpluses to the US.

Sudden and steep tariffs threaten to force countries to pass more of the costs of their export goods onto US customers, making them more expensive and less competitive.

All ASEAN member states have been threatened with these tariffs, some at excessively high rates. The varying severity of thes...