Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Wednesday that US tariffs would be at the forefront of his agenda when he meets US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week, as the Southeast Asian nation strives to negotiate a reprieve from punitive levies threatening to stifle economic growth and devastate export-reliant industries.
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The urgency stems from a move made on Monday by US President Donald Trump, who dispatched letters to the leaders of 14 countries threatening tariffs ranging from 25 to 40 per cent to be imposed by August 1, pushing back his original deadline of Wednesday.
Malaysia now faces a 25 per cent tariff – one percentage point higher than the rate unveiled by the unpredictable US president on April 2.
“When I meet Secretary Rubio tomorrow, I will certainly raise these issues for his consideration,” Anwar told reporters on Wednesday, after the launch of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
“We have sent teams to negotiate and explain the position that ours is a trading nation; therefore, any unilateral tariffs will of course impact negatively on the economy of this country and the region.”
Rubio is visiting Kuala Lumpur to attend a meeting with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Thursday and a gathering of foreign ministers the following day. It marks his first visit to Southeast Asia as America’s top diplomat and the highest-profile US delegation to the region since Trump’s return to the White House for a second term in January.
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Trump’s tariffs, first announced three months ago, took particular aim at Southeast Asia, fuelling fears of an economic downturn as the region’s export-reliant economies brace for the fallout from diminished US demand.