KUALA LUMPUR – The government will not rush into deciding Malaysia’s position regarding the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) with the United States and will continue to monitor developments surrounding the agreement, said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said the Cabinet will hold further discussions this Friday on the matter.
“We need to evaluate this properly, and MITI (the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry) in particular is currently examining all the detailed aspects. The Minister has been tasked with presenting all considerations so that our decision will be a sound one,” he said.
Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said this when responding to a question from Datuk Rosol Wahid (PN–Hulu Terengganu), who asked about the government’s position on the decision by the Supreme Court of the United States declaring tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump as invalid, in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Anwar said the matter is being closely monitored not only by Malaysia but by the entire world, and that the government is also taking into account the implications and subsequent effects.
“So I ask, why should we rush? Because the US Supreme Court made a decision three days ago… today we must immediately decide based on that ruling? I do not agree.
“We will continue to monitor developments regarding the ART because the US Supreme Court’s decision is not yet final and we are waiting for the position of Congress. In fact, President Trump may use several other legal provisions to maintain the tariffs decided earlier,” he said.
On February 20, the US Supreme Court annulled tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which had formed the basis of Trump’s actions, including reciprocal tariffs.
Trump was later reported to have said he would increase global tariffs to 15 percent from 10 percent following the court’s decision, which overturned most of his previous trade measures.
Meanwhile, Anwar stressed that the government should be given space to examine developments and the implications of the US executive decision, particularly on Malaysia–US bilateral relations valued at RM367.5 billion.
He also informed that a 15 percent tariff will be imposed on Malaysia for a period of 150 days.
“The impact of this executive decision (a 15 percent tariff) is temporarily positive for Malaysia because it has been reduced from 19 percent.
“Moreover, as of yesterday, we have yet to receive a ratification date for the ART from the US side, so it remains pending there,” he added.
“This is a major economic issue involving tens of thousands of people and hundreds of billions in funds, so I say give the government space first,” he said. – February 24, 2026