Malaysia Engages U.S. Over Tariff Tensions

Malaysia's trade and finance ministers plan to visit the United States to address U.S. tariffs on their country, as agreed upon by ASEAN nations. Despite facing high tariffs, Malaysia is not considering retaliatory measures and is working diplomatically through its Washington embassy.

Malaysia is set to send its trade and second finance ministers to the United States at month's end to engage in discussions about the tariffs imposed by the U.S. This diplomatic initiative stems from a collective ASEAN effort to tackle tariff challenges with the U.S., according to Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil during a briefing.

Southeast Asian nations, including Malaysia, are confronting significant impacts from U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed 'reciprocal' tariffs, with Malaysia facing a 24% duty. While the majority of these tariffs are on hold until July, Malaysia has ruled out retaliatory tariffs and is actively pursuing diplomatic channels through its Washington embassy.

Unlike some Asian peers, Malaysia has not committed to increasing U.S. imports to reduce their trade surplus, indicating a preference for resolving the dispute through dialogue and consensus.

(With inputs from agencies.)