Trade deals are usually a great antidote to insomnia. The recent agreements between Washington and Asian economies, however, are different. The fine print shows that these countries made unusual concessions to clinch an accord. The agreements offer clues of how Trump has successfully turned tariff threats into leverage to force partners to invest in the United States, give Washington a say over domestic affairs, and decouple from China.

The Trump administration’s negotiators are in top shape these days. Within just the past few weeks, the United States clinched trade deals with four members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)— Cambodia , Malaysia , Thailand , and Vietnam —and finessed the details of the investment pledges that Japan gave the White House in July. The spirit of all these accords is simple: In return for lower tariffs than those that U.S. President Donald Trump imposed or threatened, these economies are accepting a surprising number and scope of Washington’s demands.

The Trump administration’s negotiators are in top shape these days. Within just the past few weeks, the United States clinched trade deals with four members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)— Cambodia , Malaysia , Thailand , and Vietnam —and finessed the details of the investment pledges that Japan gave the White House in July. The spirit of all these accords is simple: In return for lower tariffs than those that U.S.