Malaysia Seeks Middle Ground with US on Tariff Issue
With the date finally arriving, Minister of International Trade and Industry Tengku Zafrul is in Washington to address the reciprocal tariffs imposed by the United States on Malaysia, where he reiterated Malaysia’s commitment to finding a middle ground on the tariff situation.
Tengku Zafrul met with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to discuss the economic relationship between the two countries, ahead of the 90-day pause in the tariffs. During their dialogue, the Minister also expressed Malaysia’s willingness to reduce the trade deficit and enhance technological collaboration.
Malaysia is also ready to work with the US to achieve mutually agreeable solutions regarding the tariffs initiated by the Trump administration. In this aspect, four key areas have been identified for negotiation:
- Reducing the trade deficit
- Addressing non-tariff barriers
- Strengthening technological safeguards and security
- Exploring a potential bilateral trade agreement
