PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is in active negotiations with the United States to secure a tariff rate below 20 per cent ahead of the scheduled 25 per cent hike set for August 1. Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz confirmed the discussions, stating that an announcement will follow once terms are finalised.
“Discussions are ongoing. In fact, negotiations are continuing this week, so we remain on track to meet the deadline. Once the terms are agreed upon, I believe an announcement will be made,” he told reporters at the ASEAN Semiconductor Summit (ASEMIS) 2025.
When asked about a potential extension of the deadline, Tengku Zafrul noted that the decision rests with the US administration under President Donald Trump. No formal talks on delaying the tariff implementation have taken place yet.
“Every country faces different challenges when it comes to what we can offer. We cannot offer things we don’t have or things that we feel may be detrimental to the Malaysian industry. These are factors we must carefully consider,” he added. – Bernama
