Malaysia’s Trade Minister and Second Finance Minister will travel to the United States at the end of this month to engage in discussions over the U.S.-imposed tariffs on Malaysian goods, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced on Thursday.
Speaking at a regular press briefing, Fadzil emphasized that the move reflects a broader ASEAN consensus to collectively address tariff-related issues with the United States. “This is also a result of the consensus reached among ASEAN countries to jointly address the U.S. tariff issues. We will see the results after they return,” he said.
The U.S. administration, under former President Donald Trump, had announced “reciprocal” tariffs targeting several Southeast Asian nations. While most of the new duties have been paused until July, Malaysia currently faces a 24% tariff.
Despite the pressure, Malaysia has ruled out imposing retaliatory measures. Last week, the trade minister confirmed that Malaysian embassy officials in Washington were actively engaging with their U.S. counterparts to resolve the matter.
Unlike some of its Asian neighbors, Malaysia has not indicated whether it will increase U.S. imports to help balance its trade surplus with Washington.
