Unarguably, the most controversial first year of any president in American history, Donald Trump’s administration has made many significant decisions, including massive tariffs on most foreign exports. While its contribution to spiraling inflation, among other factors, has lent Trump’s presidency a bitter reputation, recent deals made in Asia may present a light at the end of the tunnel of his foreign policy.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum was recently held from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, 2025, in Gyeongju, South Korea. The summit, which gathers 21 Asian and Pacific-Rim nations, is the grounds for negotiating the handling of more than half of the world’s global trade.
Interestingly, Trump was absent from APEC 2025, having already concluded his five-day stay in Asia the day prior to the conference’s inception. Taking advantage of the attendance of world leaders from China, South Korea and other influential nations, negotiations for America were brief and held before APEC.
What then, in this short window, did President Trump discuss with foreign leaders?
Lasting only 100 minutes, Trump talked with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Oct. 30 about tariffs and global commerce in negotiations to subdue the ongoing trade war between America and China.
Despite its short length, numerous deals have been reached between the two nations. Foremost, America will reduce its tariffs on Chinese exports from 57% to 47%, removing trade restrictions on fentanyl-related products that have become a significant cause of overdoses and drug abuse in America. It will also loosen restrictions on China’s shipbuilding industry and Entity List restrictions against Chinese firms.
To reciprocate, China has slated to suspend its pause on the exportation of rare earth minerals, one of its more valuable commodities. The country has also pledged to import American soybeans, approximately 25 million metric tonnes, for the next three years. Even further, China will reportedly purchase American oil and has agreed to a deal selling TikTok’s American assets to global investors.
Earlier, Trump held negotiations with newly elected South Korean President, Lee Jae-Myung. Similar to his talks with Xi Jinping, President Trump was able to negotiate a decrease in American tariffs on Korean exports from 25% to 15%. In exchange, President Lee pledged a $350 billion Korean investment in America.
Touting Korean-American relations, Trump wrote a post on Truth Social, stating, “Our Military Alliance is stronger than ever before and, based on that, I have given them approval to build a Nuclear Powered Submarine, rather than the old-fashioned, and far less nimble, diesel powered Submarines that they have now.”
The announcement comes after decades of American blockage of South Korea’s nuclear submarine initiatives. The unprecedented agreement between Lee and Trump thus serves as a sign of repair in the bond between Korea and America after ICE agents arrested and harassed the workers of a Korean Hyundai factory in Georgia earlier this year.
Concerning the other attendees of APEC, negotiations with America have taken place to secure stronger trade relations with the Asian continent. Pursuing a similar initiative for rare earth minerals as done in China, Trump secured agreements with Japan, Malaysia and Thailand to bolster ties with their mineral industries and bolster global trade relations. Taiwan has also reported ongoing negotiations with America, where speculations that America’s 20% tariffs on Taiwan will fall linger, drawing even greater hope for a strengthened foreign policy.
With the inflammatory economic policies employed by Trump’s current administration, it is undeniable that recent efforts to promote international cooperation in trade will benefit Americans and the world. With the progress made to reverse the damage of previous decisions, could the Trump administration begin to repair its scathing reputation? Only time can tell.
