🎧 Audio
📖 Script
As President Donald Trump prepares to visit South-East Asia, many local manufacturers are concerned about the potential impact of his trade policies. Trump’s administration has been known for its protectionist stance, often prioritizing American businesses over international trade relationships. This approach has led to increased tariffs on goods from various countries, including those in South-East Asia.
Indonesian exporters, in particular, are worried that these tariffs could hurt their businesses. Many rely heavily on exporting goods to the United States, and any increase in tariffs could make their products more expensive and less competitive in the American market. This situation is causing uncertainty and anxiety among business owners and workers alike.
The trade tensions between the United States and China have already disrupted global supply chains, and South-East Asian countries have been caught in the middle. For example, some manufacturers in the region have benefited by stepping in to fill gaps when Chinese exports to the US decreased. However, this benefit could be short-lived if the US imposes new tariffs on their products as well.
As the region prepares for Trump’s visit, there is a lot of speculation about what his policies might mean for the future of trade in South-East Asia. Some hope that discussions during the visit could lead to more favorable trade terms, while others fear that the protectionist trend will continue.
The situation highlights the interconnected nature of global economies. Decisions made by a major economy like the US can have widespread effects, especially in developing regions that depend heavily on exports. As Trump’s visit approaches, all eyes are on the outcome and how it will affect businesses and economies in South-East Asia.
📝 Vocabulary
- tariff: a tax on imports or exports
例文: “The government imposed a new tariff on imported cars.”
Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
- impose a tariff
- tariff increase
- tariff policy
関税 - exporter: a person or company that sells goods to another country
例文: “The exporter shipped thousands of products overseas.”
Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
- leading exporter
- export market
- export goods
輸出業者 - protectionist: related to protecting a country’s own industries by taxing foreign goods
例文: “The protectionist policies affected international trade relations.”
Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
- protectionist stance
- protectionist measures
- protectionist policy
保護主義 - competitive: able to compete successfully with others
例文: “Their prices are very competitive in the market.”
Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
- competitive market
- competitive price
- competitive advantage
競争力のある - supply chain: the sequence of processes involved in the production and distribution of a product
例文: “Disruptions in the supply chain can delay product delivery.”
Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
- supply chain management
- global supply chain
- supply chain disruption
サプライチェーン
✏️ Grammar Point
Relative Clause – “Many rely heavily on exporting goods to the United States, and any increase in tariffs could make their products more expensive and less competitive in the American market.”
文法の日本語補足を見る
💡 使用場面
日常会話やビジネスシーンで、特定の物事について追加情報を提供したいときに便利です。
📝 使用例文
“例: In a business meeting, you might say: ‘If we cut costs now, we can increase our profit margin next quarter.’”
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❓ Listening Questions
- True/False: Indonesian exporters are not concerned about the US tariffs.
- MCQ: What is President Trump’s trade policy known for?
a) Encouraging global trade
b) Supporting international relations
c) Prioritizing American businesses
d) Reducing tariffs - MCQ: How have some South-East Asian manufacturers benefited from the US-China trade tensions?
a) By expanding domestic markets
b) By filling gaps in exports to the US
c) By increasing their supply to China
d) By lowering production costs
🔑 Listening Answersを見る
- False
- c) Prioritizing American businesses
- b) By filling gaps in exports to the US
📚 Reading Questions
- What are Indonesian exporters worried about regarding US tariffs?
- Why might some manufacturers’ benefits from the trade tensions be short-lived?
- What does “protectionist” mean in the context of trade policies?
🔑 Reading Answersを見る
- They are worried that tariffs could make their products more expensive and less competitive.
- Because new tariffs from the US could be imposed on their products as well.
- Related to protecting a country’s own industries by taxing foreign goods.
🇯🇵 日本語での経済ニュース解説
南東アジアの製造業者は、トランプ大統領の訪問に先立ち、米国の保護主義政策の影響を懸念しています。特にインドネシアの輸出業者は、米国への輸出に依存しているため、関税の増加が自国の製品競争力に悪影響を及ぼすことを心配しています。米中間の貿易緊張が供給チェーンを混乱させる中、南東アジアの経済はその余波を受けています。今後のトランプ訪問での議論が、地域の貿易にどのような影響を与えるかに注目が集まっています。
Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-24/us-china-trade-shift-hits-south-east-asian-nations/105924246
