KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 — Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said today Putrajaya will continue to hold talks with Washington and is open to addressing any concerns the US has amid simmering geopolitical tension over President Donald Trump’s plan to slap tariffs on imports, which are feared to escalate into a global trade war.
The Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry told reporters at the China Conference South-east Asia 2025 here that the Malaysian delegation is scheduled to meet American investors in the second quarter of this year, and use it as a platform to assure them Malaysia will continue to view the US as a key trading partner.
“The US continues to be a very important trading partner. Our number one exporting partner is the US, second is China,” he said.
“We are engaging the relevant institutions and stakeholders in the US through our usual platforms... but of course, we are preparing for any possible actions taken, but so far, there is none,” the minister added.
“So we in Malaysia will of course try to understand, try to see what are the concerns and see how we can assist and mitigate some of their concerns like trade deficits, or technology or areas where we can try and work closer. I think that’s our position.”
Malaysia is not a target of Trump’s import tariff increase plans, but there are concerns the move could have other indirect impacts such as lower export demand from China, whose economy is already slowing down and could be pinched by further shocks.
Trump raised tariffs on all Chinese steel and aluminium imports by 25 per cent as part of a flurry of chaotic executive decisions he made upon taking office, on top of a 10 per cent levy increase on all Chinese products.
Beijing swiftly reacted by imposing a 15 per cent tariff on American coal and liquefied natural gas, and a 10 per cent tariff on crude oil and agricultural machinery.
