Malaysia's semiconductor players befuddled, tech stocks tumble on Trump's 100% tariff threat against chips
The proposed tariffs, targeting all semiconductors produced outside the US or by such companies with no plans to set up plants on American soil, triggered declines in 71 technology counters on Bursa Malaysia.
Wong Siew Hai, president of the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association, said the abrupt announcement has created confusion, and that industry players are taking a wait-and-see approach, including calling a pause on their investment plans.
He told The Business Times: 'We can't say more for now; we will have to wait for more details from Washington on how this tariff will be implemented.'
Last year, Malaysia exported nearly RM120 billion (S$36.4 billion) in electrical and electronics products to the US, accounting for a fifth of its total electrical and electronics exports. Semiconductor exports alone amounted to RM60.6 billion, or about 20 per cent of Malaysia's total chip shipments.
Among the hardest hit were Malaysian Pacific Industries. Its share price fell 20 sen or close to 1 per cent, to RM20.30 at the close of trading on Thursday.
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The share prices of D&O Green Technologies and KESM Industries, also one of the top losers, dropped 6 sen to RM1.04 and RM2.58, respectively.
The Bursa Malaysia Technology Index, comprising 49 stocks, rose 0.2 per cent to 52.27 at Thursday's close, but the index remained down 0.7 per cent for the week; it has fallen 19.7 per cent since the start of the year.
On Thursday, the top five constituents of the technology index turned in mixed performances. While Malaysian Pacific Industries, Frontken Corporation and Zetrix AI (formerly MY E.G. Services) also finished the day lower, Vitrox Corporation and Inari Amertron rebounded in the second half of trading, after logging declines earlier in the day.
The falls followed Trump's announcement from the Oval Office on Wednesday that the tariff would apply to 'all chips and semiconductors coming into the US', unless companies were building or planning to build facilities within the US. He added that firms falsely claiming to invest in the US would face retroactive tariffs.
The announcement was the latest escalation in Washington's push to rebuild its domestic chip capacity and lower the country's dependence on foreign supply chains. Under this drive, the Department of Commerce initiated an investigation in April to assess the risks posed to national security from imports of semiconductors and related equipment.
Putrajaya warns of economic blow
Malaysia's Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said: 'Malaysia risks losing a key market in the United States if our products become less competitive due to the imposition of such tariffs.' REUTERS
Malaysia's Investment, Trade and Industry minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz warned that the country could suffer a major blow if its semiconductor exports to the US become subject to such steep tariffs.
'Malaysia risks losing a key market in the United States if our products become less competitive due to the imposition of such tariffs,' he said in Parliament on Thursday.
He noted, however, that the US has yet to detail the implementation mechanism and that Malaysia's exports remain exempt from the tax for now. Still, the status is 'subject to review', and may shift with future US trade decisions.
Tengku Zafrul said the government has stepped up engagement with Washington and is working closely with Bank Negara Malaysia to assess the potential economic impact.
The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry is also stepping up its outreach to the country's major exporters and related industries, and also urging companies to diversify their export markets to reduce their reliance on the US.
The US' 19 per cent tariff on Malaysian imports, effective Aug 7, is a reduction from the previous rate of 24 per cent. The minister noted earlier that tariffs on pharmaceutical products and semiconductors remain at zero per cent, and that Washington has signalled its readiness to offer more exemptions in ongoing talks.
Malaysia is the world's sixth-largest semiconductor exporter. Its electrical and electronics and chip sectors employ more than 72,000 skilled workers, and are supported by over 7,200 mostly small and medium-sized local suppliers.
These industries are also growth engines for the automotive, medical device, renewable energy, aerospace and digital sectors, added Tengku Zafrul.
Dampening future demand
Analysts have warned that the proposed tariffs could disrupt global supply chains and drive up production costs. These higher costs would likely be passed on to consumers, ultimately dampening demand.
In a note on Thursday, TA Securities said that it anticipates more conditional exemptions to be announced over time, given the complexity and interdependence of the global semiconductor supply chain.
It said in a report: 'It would be extremely difficult for the US to fully repatriate the semiconductor value chain in the near term, as building a self-sufficient ecosystem would take decades.'
Despite the uncertainty, global demand for semiconductor manufacturing equipment remains robust. Citing data from industry association Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), TA Securities expects global sales by equipment makers to reach a record US$125.5 billion in 2025, and US$138.1 billion in 2026.
Sales of wafer-fabrication equipment are forecast to rise 6.2 per cent in 2025 and 10.2 per cent in 2026, reaching RM516 billion. Demand for assembly, packaging and testing equipment is also projected to grow as chips become more complex.
Jeremy Goh, head of research at CGS International, said firms that are in Malaysia's outsourced semiconductor assembly and test market, along with those in automated test equipment and electronics manufacturing services would be directly hit by steep tariffs, because of their deep exposure to consumer electronics and automotive clients.
He flagged two companies in particular – Vitrox and Pentamaster, which derived 14 per cent and 7 per cent of their revenue, respectively, from US-bound shipments in 2024.
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