Anwar: Officials to leave for US to begin tariff discussions

The Star

Malaysian officials will be sent to the United States to begin a dialogue on the tariff issue, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.  “Malaysia’s trade with the United States has long been a model of mutual gain. Our exports support not just growth here but high-quality jobs across the United States. '' Anwar said at the Asean Investment Conference (AIC) 2025 in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday (April 8).   Read more at https://shorturl.at/5ESnG  WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

Transcript

00:00Now, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the global trading system is under intense strain,

00:17more so than at any point in recent memory.

00:21Last week, the United States unveiled its latest turn towards economic nationalism,

00:28sweeping tariffs on all imports, being part and parcel of what has been dubbed as Trump

00:36tariffs against the rest of the world.

00:39Malaysia's trade with the United States has long been a model of mutual gain.

00:44Our exports support not just growth here, but high-quality jobs across the United States.

00:53This commercial relationship has served both countries well, but these measures may end

00:59up harming all.

01:01Yet, we do not believe in megaphone diplomacy.

01:06As part of our soft diplomacy of quiet engagement, and I build this consensus among ASEAN leaders,

01:12we will be dispatching, together with our colleagues in ASEAN, our officials in Washington

01:18to begin the process of dialogue.

01:21In the meantime, Malaysia will adapt as we always have.

01:26Winds may shift, but we do not drift.

01:30Our trade diversification strategy is already gathering space.

01:36Our cohesiveness within ASEAN believes that the intra-trade with ASEAN, investments and

01:43joint collaboration must be further enhanced.

01:47While we intend to remain steadfast trade partners with the United States, we will in

01:51tandem do whatever it takes to safeguard our economic interests.

01:56This includes engaging proactively with the United States towards achieving a mutually

02:02beneficial outcome, and at the same time diversifying our ties with all major trade markets across

02:09the EU, Asia, Middle East, Africa, and particularly China, Korea, and Japan.

02:17Now these efforts are not occurring in a vacuum.

02:21They unfold against a backdrop of mounting uncertainty, one that transcends any single

02:28country's policy choices.

02:30Globalization, once assumed to be forging ahead, now appears to be in retreat.

02:38Protectionism is resurgent, supply chains are being reconfigured, and multilateralism

02:45is increasingly spoken of in the past tense.

02:51In this environment, ASEAN stands out as a beacon of hope and positivity.

02:57We are still broadly committed to openness, cooperation, and institutional continuity.

03:04Our total trade in goods stands at $3.5 trillion.

03:09Of course, this figure is not guaranteed.

03:12While the barrage of tariffs sweeping across the world in fast and furious fashion, we

03:18are witnessing the fraying of the global order.

03:23Therefore, ASEAN must rely more on itself.

03:26This means strengthening inter-ASEAN trade.

03:30We must move beyond rhetoric to execution.

03:35Tariff liberalization within the region is largely complete, but regulatory alignment,

03:42cross-border logistics, digital connectivity remain unfinished business.

03:47It also means safeguarding and expanding our external linkages.

03:53Our dialogue and sectoral partners span six continents.

03:57Few regional blocs can claim such a network.

04:01As Chair this year, Malaysia will prioritize the revitalization of strategic platforms

04:08such as the ASEAN Plus Three as mechanisms for economic resilience.

04:14This will require political will, serious capital, fortitude, and a strong dose of good

04:21fortune.

04:22While this will not be a silver bullet, it is nevertheless a significant and unprecedented

04:30step.

04:31Malaysia is also committed to invest in developing our border areas, such as in the northern

04:37peninsula with Thailand, and the Sabah and Sarawak border with Kalimantan, to promote

04:43economic activities for the benefit of people in both sides of the border covering Indonesia,

04:49Brunei, and the Philippines.

04:52Our Southeast Asian neighbors are especially prone to natural disasters.

04:57Furthermore, the effects of climate change have become more insidious.

05:02Our capacity to manage adverse weather events, safeguard critical infrastructure, and protect

05:09vulnerable communities must be significantly improved.

05:14Green growth is no longer a matter of environmental virtue, but a strategic economic necessity.

05:21Technologies such as carbon capture, circular production models, and low-emission innovations

05:28are not peripheral experiments.

05:30Indeed, they are poised to define the industrial landscape of the coming decade.

05:35Today, even more pertinent than ever, we must pursue greater economic integration in ASEAN.

05:43During this week's ASEAN Finance Track, as you will hear of various efforts to strengthen

05:50our economic cooperation.

05:52Now, the Trump tariffs are not the first challenge to multilateralism, nor will they be the last.

06:00But if ASEAN can hold its nerve, staying open, pragmatic, and cohesive, it may yet be among

06:09the last believers in a world that works better when it works together.

06:15With that, I am pleased to launch the ASEAN Simplified ESG Disclosure Guide for SMEs in

06:22Supply Chains.

06:23Terima kasih.

06:25Xie xie.

06:39Xie xie.

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