KUALA LUMPUR, February 24 — Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz has dismissed claims by Rafizi Ramli that Malaysian exports would face “double tariffs” in the United States, saying the US Supreme Court’s ruling against earlier measures by Donald Trump.
Means the previous 19 per cent tariff on Malaysia no longer applies, leaving only the newly announced 15 per cent global tariff. Defending the government’s Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) with Washington, Tengku Zafrul described it as a proactive safeguard akin to “travel insurance”.
Arguing that negotiating early protects Malaysia’s economy amid uncertainty, noting that other economies such as the EU, UK, Japan, Korea and Indonesia have adopted similar approaches, while Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said the Cabinet will await a full briefing before deciding on Malaysia’s next steps.
