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MINISTER for Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz is scheduled to meet with US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer to focus on the reciprocal tariffs that have been imposed on Malaysia by the United States.
“We will meet with USTR and other government officials from the administration of former US President Donald Trump during my two-day visit,” Tengku Zafrul said.
The Malaysian delegation, which will also meet with various business chambers, companies, and stakeholders, aims to explain Malaysia's position and the situation concerning the tariffs, Tengku Zafrul noted during a recent media briefing.
“We need to go there to clarify how Malaysia, as a neutral country, plays a crucial role in the semiconductor and electrical and electronics sectors. Our goal is to demonstrate that Malaysia can support industries in the US, rather than pose a threat to them,” he added.
Tengku Zafrul will be accompanied by Mastura Ahmad Mustafa, Deputy Secretary-General (Trade) of the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), and other ministry officials. The delegation will also be joined by MITI representatives based at the Malaysian Embassy in Washington.
The Minister clarified that the visit is not intended for negotiation, but rather for discussions.
“We are not going there to negotiate the details. Negotiations take time, don’t they? So, this visit is more about discussing how Malaysia can play an important role in the supply chain between Asia and the US,” he explained.
Although the trip is primarily focused on Malaysia’s concerns, Tengku Zafrul will also take the opportunity to voice ASEAN’s stance on the tariff issue, particularly following a special meeting of ASEAN Economic Ministers.
“As the chair of ASEAN, I will also explain ASEAN’s position, which is that we believe in a rules-based global trading system as the principle of multilateralism in trade,” he said.
Both ASEAN and Malaysia have made it clear that they will not engage in retaliatory actions.
“We also want to clarify to the US that many of us, including ASEAN, do not feel that we have imposed excessively high tariffs on US products. We hope to correct some misconceptions,” he stated.
In a joint statement issued after a special meeting on April 10, ASEAN ministers reaffirmed their commitment to engaging in honest and constructive dialogue with the US on trade concerns.
The ministers also reiterated ASEAN’s commitment to protecting the economic interests of the bloc and maintaining strong, mutually beneficial trade relations with the US.
Among ASEAN’s Indo-China members, Cambodia has been the hardest hit by the tariffs, with a combined base and retaliatory tariff of 49%, followed by Laos (48%), Vietnam (46%), and Myanmar (44%).
Thailand faces a 36% tariff, Indonesia 32%, Brunei and Malaysia both 24%, the Philippines 17%, and Singapore with a base tariff of 10%.
The reciprocal tariffs are currently under a 90-day suspension period, except for China. - April 17, 2025
