KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia has told the United States Ambassador here that it has never imposed 47% tariff on American goods, noting that the correct figure should be 5.6% instead.
Investments, Trade and Industry (Miti) Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said he met with the US Ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D. Kagan this morning to seek clarification on how the US had come up with that figure.
The US administration has claimed that Malaysia has been imposing a 47% tariff on US imports, and slapped a “reciprocal” tariff of 24% on Malaysian products shipped to the US.
Zafrul today said Miti is setting up a task force to meet with related industries and exporters to assist in countering the “unilateral decision to impose the tariff”.
“Malaysia wants to continue to be a reliable partner to all countries including our traditional partners like the United States and China,” Zafrul said at a press briefing on US tariffs at Miti, here, today.
Zafrul also said the Madani government is putting in place strong measures to mitigate the United States (US) tariffs’ impact on Malaysia.
He said several steps are being taken by the government, including the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), to address the implications of the tariffs imposed by the US.
“Among the measures is the activation of the National Geoeconomic Command Centre (NGCC), with MITI currently conducting a sectoral impact study focusing on key export sectors to the US. The findings will be presented to the NGCC, which is expected to convene soon,” he told a press conference on the impact of US tariffs here today.
Tengku Zafrul said MITI has also established a task force for managing US tariffs, aimed at gathering feedback from key stakeholders, including representatives from the private sector.
The task force seeks to minimise the impact of the unilateral US action on Malaysia’s exports and investments, he said. – April 7, 2025