Trade talks 'progressing well', Malaysia and US aim to finalise by 90-day deadline
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and the United States are aiming to finalise tariff negotiations before the 90-day pause on implementation expires, with both parties agreeing to intensify efforts toward a mutually acceptable outcome for key stakeholders in both countries.
Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry today said its separate meetings with US Trade Representative ambassador Jamieson Greer and US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick had made positive progress.
"The Malaysian delegation led by Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz ensured that the meetings with the US Trade Representative and the US Secretary of Commerce was also optimised as a platform to enhance bilateral investment and trade ties between Malaysia and the US, while also.
"These will also form part of the expected outcome of the negotiations, which Miti hopes will be finalised before the end of the 90-day pause on tariff implementation," it said in a statement.
Tengku Zafrul, who led a working visit to Washington DC on June 18, said the negotiations are expected to boost Malaysia's supply chain resilience.
He added that the outcomes could benefit local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and generate more high-paying jobs for Malaysians.
"All these will further strengthen Malaysia's position as a choice investment destination in the region, while driving the Madani economic transformation agenda towards a high-tech and higher-income nation," he added.
Tengku Zafrul said Malaysia's exports to the US recorded their eighth straight month of double-digit growth in May 2025, with the US remaining one of the country's top three export destinations over the past decade.
He noted that a significant portion of these exports supports US domestic industries, particularly in sectors like electrical and electronics (E&E), semiconductors, medical devices, machinery, equipment, and components.
"Malaysia has also been an important source of intermediate goods to US-based manufacturing industries.
"The ministry has also remained steadfast in doing its utmost to uphold Malaysia's interests in all trade and investment relations with all trading partners, particularly in maintaining the integrity of Malaysia's domestic commitments and its sovereign rights," he said.
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