The recent move by the United States to escalate tariffs on products from ASEAN member states is not merely a shift in trade policy, it is a strategic recalibration of power. Framed as a response to trade deficits or national security concerns, these tariffs force countries into a defensive posture, compelling them to seek exemptions and concessions, terms that increasingly stretch far beyond the realm of commerce. The reality is stark: trade has become a tool of geopolitical allegiance, and economic interdependence is being repurposed as a lever of control.

For Malaysia, a country deeply embedded in global supply chains and reliant on the US as a major export destination, the implications are immense. Its semiconductor sector, electrical and electronics industries, and critical medical supply chains are now hostage to a system where continued access depends on political compliance.

This is not diplomacy. It is economic coercion.

Multinational corporations and domestic exporters must now navigate an opaque labyrinth of lobbying, diplomacy and shifting foreign policy expectations, balancing profitability against the risk of exclusion. Those that fail to align with Washington’s strategic priorities, whether it is technological decoupling from China or compliance with human rights standards interpreted through selective lenses, face punitive costs or irrelevance. Those that comply, meanwhile, may find themselves locked into dependency and stripped of strategic autonomy.

This creates a dangerously unequal system, one that privileges those with the capacity to influence policy and punishes countries that lack bargaining power. It is economic narcissism dressed up as liberal trade reform. It is a system that expects obedience rather than partnership.

But the damage does not end at the macroeconomic level. The weaponization of tariffs has grave consequences for human rights, labor protections and democratic space across Southeast Asia. Trade, once seen as a means of fostering development and lifting people out of poverty, is now becoming a wedge that can drive inequality, deepen authoritarianism and weaken accountability.

When smaller economies are subjected to external pressure from powerful trading partners, there is often a reflexive response: centralize decision-making, suppress dissent and eliminate checks and balances in the name of national interest and economic “stability.” Civil society voices, already constrained in many parts of ASEAN, are sidelined further as governments move swiftly to appease external actors and secure trade access. The prioritization of elite-level trade diplomacy over inclusive policymaking leads to a hollowing out of democratic governance.

In states where democracy remains fragile, this is particularly dangerous. Authoritarian-leaning governments are likely to instrumentalize these trade pressures to justify greater repression. The chilling effect is real: civil liberties contract, space for opposition shrinks and transparency in public policy evaporates. Trade becomes an elite game, disconnected from the rights and needs of ordinary people.

And on the ground, the economic costs of this trade war fall squarely on the shoulders of workers, especially those in precarious and informal sectors. As corporations scramble to avoid tariffs by relocating operations or cutting costs, labor protections are often the first to go.

Oversight mechanisms fray. Labor abuses, including excessive working hours, union-busting and even forced labor, become harder to track and more tempting to exploit. In some cases, illicit alternatives flourish: trafficking, smuggling and black-market labor networks feed on the gaps created by formal trade restrictions.

This is how a supposedly rules-based global economic order turns into a human rights crisis.

It is crucial to state this plainly: the weaponization of trade undermines not only economic sovereignty but also the human dignity of millions in Southeast Asia. It risks deepening structural inequalities between the Global North and Global South, reinforcing exploitative dependencies that leave no room for the political or economic empowerment of marginalized communities.

Moreover, the credibility of international trade institutions is eroding. If the world’s most powerful economy can selectively rewrite the rules of engagement to serve its geopolitical aims, what message does that send to other countries? What incentives exist for respecting human rights treaties or upholding international labor standards when economic survival hinges on alignment with great-power politics?

Malaysia’s predicament, and that of many ASEAN nations, should serve as a wake-up call. We cannot rely on the goodwill of powerful trading partners to protect our sovereignty, our rights or our democratic institutions. We must diversify our economic partnerships, invest in sustainable domestic industries and build regional resilience through stronger ASEAN economic integration.

But that is not enough. We must also resist the narrative that trade and human rights are separate arenas. They are inseparable. A just economy must uphold workers' rights, respect democratic governance and protect vulnerable communities. Trade agreements must be shaped not only by economic logic but by moral and political responsibility.

This is a moment of reckoning for ASEAN. We must not respond to these coercive tactics with fragmentation or silence. We must stand in solidarity, regionally and globally, to push back against the erosion of our autonomy. That means crafting trade policies that put people first, strengthening protections for civil society and reclaiming democratic space from the grip of elite negotiations.

It also means speaking truth to power, even when doing so threatens short-term economic gains. Because if we trade away our democratic values and human rights protections for tariff exemptions and market access, we will have secured prosperity only for the few, while sacrificing the dignity, freedom and future of the many.

This is not just about economics. It is about who gets to shape the future of our region, and whether that future will be just, democratic and dignified.

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The writer is cochairperson of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR).