Sweeping tariffs set to be imposed by President Donald Trump next month may cast a pall over his top diplomat’s first official trip to Asia this week — just as the U.S. seeks to boost relations with Indo-Pacific nations to counter China’s growing influence in the region.

The US president's latest volley of tariffs heavily targets Asian countries, including Japan, South Korea and Indonesia. Among the countries Trump hit were Japan, South Korea, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand,

Chinese businesses are sending increasing volumes of goods to the US via south-east Asia in a bid to evade the tariff wall erected by Donald Trump as part of his trade war, data suggests.