Many Chinese companies, making everything from ice cream to Christmas decorations and smartphones, have started to intensify their targeting of consumers in Southeast Asia (Source photos by Getty Images. Yiwu Sihai Christmas Crafts and Dimas Ardiran)

Trump tariffs shine spotlight on Chinese targeting Southeast Asian consumers

Trade war with US prompts businesses to focus more on ASEAN region

STELLA YIFAN XIE

June 17, 2025 06:00 JST

HONG KONG -- U.S. President Donald Trump's volatile tariff policy was supposed to hammer Gong Yongqiang's Christmas decoration business.

Instead, his factories have been churning out goods at full capacity since May. Sales for the entire year are on track to grow by 20% from 2023, supported by a surprising surge in demand from countries including Muslim-majority Indonesia and Malaysia, according to Gong, who has been exporting Santa Claus figures and other Christmas objects from China for the past decade.