The US will give special consideration to Malaysia’s semiconductor sector in tariff negotiations under Section 232, says deputy minister.
KUALA LUMPUR: The United States will give special consideration to Malaysia’s semiconductor sector in tariff negotiations under Section 232 of the US Trade Expansion Act of 1962.
Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Liew Chin Tong confirmed the tariffs on semiconductors are sectoral and were not included in the recently signed Malaysia-US Agreement on Reciprocal Trade.
“The TRA does not include sectoral tariffs… semiconductors fall under Section 232, which the US Secretary of Commerce will consider,” he said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat.
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Liew was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Ahmad Amzad Mohamed @ Hashim regarding the impact of ART on the semiconductor sector.
Separately, he addressed a question from Datuk Dr Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh about halal certification following the ART agreement.
Liew clarified that the process for approving imports of halal products from the US remains unchanged under the agreement.
He emphasised that imports must comply with Malaysia’s halal standards and the Trade Descriptions Act for trade within Malaysia.
“These regulations stipulate that only halal products certified by US halal certification bodies recognised by JAKIM and that meet Malaysia’s halal requirements will be approved and permitted for export to Malaysia,” he elaborated. – Bernama
