Malaysia to send top ministers to U.S. for talks on tariffs, aligns with ASEAN stance

By Fidan Ibrahimova
April 17, 2025 12:00 Updated 45d ago
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Reuters

Malaysia will dispatch its trade and second finance ministers to the United States later this month to address U.S. tariff measures, in line with a collective ASEAN response to rising trade tensions, the government said Thursday.

Speaking at a regular press briefing, Fahmi — who also serves as the government’s spokesperson — said the mission is part of a broader ASEAN initiative aimed at jointly responding to tariff actions under U.S. President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” trade strategy.

“This is also a result of the consensus reached among ASEAN countries to jointly address the U.S. tariff issues,” Fahmi said. “We will see the results after they return.”

Malaysia is facing a 24 percent tariff under Trump’s proposed measures, although most of the new duties have been suspended until July. Southeast Asian economies have been particularly impacted by the threat of U.S. tariffs, which target countries with large trade surpluses.

Despite the pressure, Malaysia has ruled out retaliatory tariffs. Last week, the trade ministry said Malaysian embassy officials in Washington were already engaging with U.S. counterparts to seek a resolution.

Unlike some other Asian nations, Malaysia has not announced plans to increase purchases of U.S. goods in order to reduce its trade surplus with Washington — a tactic previously used by countries such as Japan and South Korea.

The upcoming high-level trip is expected to focus on negotiating exemptions or reductions in tariffs and reinforcing Malaysia’s commitment to fair trade practices under the existing bilateral and multilateral frameworks.

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