KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – The Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN plans to hold a summit with the United States so its member countries can present their views on planned U.S. tariffs, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister said on Thursday.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will impose tariffs of around 25% on automotive, semiconductor and pharmaceutical imports.
Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan told Parliament that such tariffs would be a challenge for Malaysia as electrical and electronics products make up 60% of its trade with the United States.”This is a huge blow if we can’t get this resolved soon,” he said, adding that ASEAN planned to hold a special summit to present the region’s case to the U.S. government.
“We need to confer on how to provide the views from ASEAN countries to ensure the proposed tariff does not burden us.”
Malaysia is the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2025.
According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, U.S. goods trade with Malaysia was estimated at $80.2 billion in 2024, and the U.S. goods trade deficit with Malaysia stood at $24.8 billion last year.
(Reporting by Ashley Tang; Editing by John Mair)
