logo
Trade performance on track to hit growth target

Trade performance on track to hit growth target

The Star15-07-2025
Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz. — Reuters
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's trade performance for this year remains within expectations and is on track to reach the target growth of 4% to 5%, says Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Nevertheless, Tengku Zafrul said the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) expects global trade to moderate in the second half of 2025 (2H25) amid ongoing uncertainties.
'Yes, there is some front-loading, especially in the last five months, but at the same time, given the Aug 1 deadline (for US tariffs), we expect the (moderation) to continue.
'We are going to issue the latest trade numbers for June on Friday, and what is important is that Malaysia's trade performance is still within expectations,' he told a press conference on Miti's report card for the second quarter of this year.
Tengku Zafrul noted that the projection by Bank Negara for trade growth is around 5% this year, while the Finance Ministry has projected about 3.9%.
'We will continue to focus on achieving (those) targets,' he said.
Earlier during the report card presentation, Tengku Zafrul highlighted that the country has been gathering a total of RM25.6bil in potential investments and RM30.8bil in potential exports from the trade and investment missions held to date.
Malaysia has also recently inked new free trade agreements with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in June, which is expected to reach a total of RM14.4bil in trade with the EFTA market.
Meanwhile, on the tariff negotiation with the United States, Tengku Zafrul said his ministry is now looking at tariff and non-tariff related matters that can be agreed upon by both parties.
'I have set a deadline for the negotiation team, and there are issues that we still need time for because they involve many agencies and ministries.
'We are trying to conclude it before US President Donald Trump's tariff deadline on Aug 1. We are doing the calculations as well on what the impact is to our export and the impact to the government's revenue as well.
'We will continue to have another discussion this week and accelerate the discussion until the end of this month,' he added.
Tengku Zafrul noted that some concerns on non-tariff issues have been addressed by Miti through the implementation of the Strategic Trade Act 2010, while 'red line' issues, such as those related to the equity interest in certain sectors, need to be studied carefully.
'As you know, Malaysia has equity restrictions for foreign shareholders for certain sectors, so there is a request for us to relook at or liberalise those sectors. Many countries have also been asked to do the same.
'For us, we need to consult the industries whether we are ready to liberalise those equity shareholding restrictions, especially when it comes to foreign equity restrictions that we have for many sectors.
'So we need to study carefully what the impact is,' he said. — Bernama
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Zafrul: Halal certification a 'red line' in US trade talks
Zafrul: Halal certification a 'red line' in US trade talks

New Straits Times

time2 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Zafrul: Halal certification a 'red line' in US trade talks

KUALA LUMPUR: Halal certification is one of Malaysia's non-negotiable issues, or "red lines", in ongoing trade discussions with the United States. Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said several discussions with the relevant ministries and the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) on the recognition of halal certificates issued by the US have also been conducted. Any agreement on the matter, he said, must be in line with Jakim's standards. "The issue of halal certification is also one of our red lines, for example, the recognition of halal certificates from the US. "Guidelines have been developed based on past experience and in consultation with the US. "If they follow Jakim's requirements and maintain similar standards to those adopted in other countries, then we can consider accepting them. But the recognition must come from Jakim," he said during the question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday. Tengku Zafrul was responding to a supplementary question from Mohd Syahir Che Sulaiman (PN-Bachok), who asked for further clarification on the red lines outlined by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on tariffs imposed by the US. Anwar had said Malaysia will not compromise on its national policies in trade negotiations, even as discussions with the US on proposed tariffs continue. He said the government had drawn a clear red line to protect its policies, including those that provide opportunities for local companies and uphold the Bumiputera agenda. Commenting further, Tengku Zafrul said Malaysia will remain firm in defending its core economic policies, not only with the US but also with international companies. He said such a principle is essential to protect Bumiputera interests and to ensure the country's economic development remains balanced. "While we maintain a proactive and open stance in negotiations, we have also identified the red lines, non-negotiable issues, which were recently agreed upon at the cabinet level," he said. He also cited the National Trade Estimate Report released by the US, which highlighted several Malaysian policies, including local equity requirements in government procurement as trade barriers. "They raised concerns over Malaysia's government procurement policies and local equity requirements, which they argue affect market access. They also said their market is open, so why isn't ours? "Intellectual property protection is also a recurring agenda item in efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation. "As such, we must stand firm in defending our key policies, including those related to ownership, procurement, and the sovereignty of our trade policies."

MITI: Malaysia to host second round of EU Free Trade talks in November
MITI: Malaysia to host second round of EU Free Trade talks in November

Malaysian Reserve

time4 hours ago

  • Malaysian Reserve

MITI: Malaysia to host second round of EU Free Trade talks in November

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia is expected to host the second round of negotiations for the Malaysia-European Union Free Trade Agreement (MEUFTA) in November 2025, according to the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI). The ministry said the first round of MEUFTA talks took place in Brussels, Belgium, from June 30 to July 4, 2025, with 21 chapters currently under negotiation with the European Union (EU). 'In addition to traditional chapters such as trade in goods, rules of origin, customs and trade facilitation, services, and investment, the FTA with the EU also includes new chapters such as sustainable food systems and trade and sustainable development — topics which were not included when talks first began in 2010,' MITI said in a written reply published on the Parliament website today. The response was to a question by Datuk Seri Hasni Mohammad (BN–Simpang Renggam) on whether MITI plans to resume FTA talks with the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the areas of focus. MITI added that in 2024, bilateral trade between Malaysia and the EU reached RM218.9 billion (US$1=RM4.23), with exports totalling RM115.8 billion and imports RM103.1 billion. Malaysia's main exports to the EU included electrical and electronic products, manufactured goods, palm oil and related products, processed foods, and optical and scientific equipment. From 2021 to 2024, the total approved investments from EU countries in Malaysia's manufacturing and services sectors, overseen by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), amounted to RM198.2 billion. Meanwhile, on the Malaysia-GCC FTA, Malaysia signed a joint statement with the GCC on May 26, 2025, to launch negotiations on an FTA between the two parties. The first round of negotiations is scheduled to take place in September 2025. In 2024, bilateral trade between Malaysia and the GCC reached RM101.8 billion, with exports amounting to RM25.7 billion and imports RM76.1 billion. Malaysia's main exports to the GCC included electrical and electronic products, jewellery, petroleum products, palm oil and related goods, as well as processed food. Key focus areas in the Malaysia-GCC FTA include trade in goods, rules of origin, customs and trade facilitation, services, investment, digital economy, and broader economic cooperation — aimed at strengthening strategic trade and investment ties. 'It is expected that Malaysia will benefit from greater export market access in GCC countries. 'This, in turn, will strengthen the position of Malaysian companies in global supply chains and help reduce the trade deficit between the two economies,' MITI said. From 2021 to 2024, approved investments from GCC countries in Malaysia's manufacturing and services sectors under MIDA totalled RM105.9 million. — BERNAMA

Data Centre Investment Surges To RM144.4 Bln By March 2025 -- MITI
Data Centre Investment Surges To RM144.4 Bln By March 2025 -- MITI

Barnama

time12 hours ago

  • Barnama

Data Centre Investment Surges To RM144.4 Bln By March 2025 -- MITI

BUSINESS KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 (Bernama) -- From 2021 to March 31, 2025, Malaysia recorded 25 approved investment projects in the data centre sector, with a total investment value of RM144.4 billion. According to records from the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), MITI said these projects were approved under the Digital Ecosystem Acceleration Scheme (DESAC) and are expected to create high-skilled, high-income jobs. 'These investments are projected to generate 1,429 new jobs, with roles requiring specialised expertise such as engineers, data scientists, big data analysts, cybersecurity engineers, and information technology (IT) engineers. 'Over 50 per cent of these roles will be high-income jobs, offering salaries of more than RM5,000,' MITI said in a written reply published on Parliament's website today. The ministry was responding to a question from Aminolhuda Hassan (PH–Sri Gading), who asked MITI to detail job opportunities arising from the expanding data centre sector and the potential economic and labour market impacts. On that front, the ministry said it will carry out a survey to assess the economic spillover effects of the data centre industry. 'MITI has identified several key parameters for data collection across four main segments in the data centre ecosystem. 'These include data centre companies and operators; major tech firms and content providers; telecommunications and mobile network operators; and equipment suppliers and service providers within the data centre industry,' it said. In addition, MITI noted that several leading global tech companies have committed to creating around 67,000 direct and indirect jobs, mainly in the IT sector and related supply chains, once their projects are fully implemented.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store