Some countries are worse off than others,” the article states, “but Washington has effectively put all of Asia in the same tariff boat.” Japan is facing a 24% levy — despite serving as America’s geopolitical anchor in the region and pouring in massive foreign investment from giants like SoftBank.

Asian leaders face tough decisions as President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs pose a generational challenge to a region whose economies were built around exports to the US and a world of low trade barriers.