KUALA LUMPUR: Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz revealed today that Malaysia was already in the process of seeking an extension from the United States before President Donald Trump’s surprise tariff announcement.
“We were actually in the midst of requesting an extension.
“There were still a few unresolved issues, and we had arranged for the relevant ministries to engage with US departments.
“The US side was also still deliberating whether to grant the extension,” Zafrul said at a press conference today.
Trump’s public announcement — shared via social media — abruptly set Aug 1 as the new effective date for the 25% tariff on Malaysian imports.
Zafrul said the new deadline effectively serves as the extension Malaysia had sought.
“We will continue where we left off,” he added.
Zafrul also noted that free trade agreements typically take far longer to conclude than the current 90-day negotiation window.
“Just to give you an idea — we’ve concluded 18 FTAs to date.
“The fastest one took 11 months. These things take time,” he said.
