KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 — Malaysia is pushing for a regional response to looming US tariffs, with Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Aziz set to meet key officials in Washington next week.
As Asean chair for 2025, Malaysia has begun talks with fellow member states on a coordinated strategy to safeguard the region’s economic interests.
The Trump administration had initially planned to implement tariffs on all its trading partners on April 9, but granted a 90-day pause, delaying enforcement to July.
“We are resolute in our stand that a long-drawn tariff war will benefit none,” Zafrul told The Straits Times in an interview.
He said the main aim of the three-day visit, beginning on April 22, is to “gather insights into the US government’s stand... to better plan our strategy to mitigate its impact, as well as how to best go forward in negotiations”.
However, Zafrul said that “it is not possible within the span of such a short trip” to finalise any agreement on reducing or abolishing the tariffs.
The US has proposed import duties of up to 24 per cent on Malaysian goods, a move that would heavily affect the country’s exports, especially in the electrical and electronics sector.
As the US is Asean’s largest investor, particularly in services such as finance, insurance, and professional sectors, Zafrul argued that this meant Washington “actually has a trade surplus on services with Asean”.
While he meets US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington on April 24, Greer’s assistant for South-east Asia and the Pacific, Sarah Ellerman, will be in Penang meeting top Asean trade officials.
Malaysia is also using this period to strengthen its supply chain resilience, deepen trade relations with key partners such as Japan, India and Australia, and upgrade agreements like the Asean-India Trade in Goods Agreement.
Zafrul also pointed to China’s readiness to formalise the Asean-China Free Trade Upgrade Protocol as part of the region’s broader effort to stay competitive amid growing global protectionism.
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Malaysia this week, marking a significant step in strengthening bilateral ties, with both countries focusing on expanding trade and investment opportunities.
