KUALA LUMPUR, April 9 — Asean must “act boldly” to accelerate regional economic integration as sweeping US tariffs leave much of the world caught in the middle of a devastating trade war, the bloc’s chief said today.

The 10-member Association of South-east Asian Nations, which count on the United States as their main export market, were among those slapped with the toughest levies by President Donald Trump.

“To remain relevant and resilient in a world where economic chaos is fast becoming the new normal, we must act boldly, decisively, and together to reaffirm Asean’s commitment to a stable, predictable, and business-friendly environment,” Asean Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn told an investment conference.