PETALING JAYA: Malaysia should use its Asean Chair role to speak up against the newly imposed reciprocal tariffs by the United States, says the Malay Businessmen and Industrialists Association of Malaysia (Perdasama).
Its president Mohd Azamanizam Baharon said the tariffs could disrupt trade relations and regional economic stability.
"As a nation that practices free trade and is export-oriented, Malaysia relies heavily on fair and equitable trade relationships.
"The Malaysian government is urged to leverage its position as the 2025 Asean Chair to exert peaceful and diplomatic political pressure in defending the economic interests of the country and the Asean region as a whole," said Mohd Azamanizam.
He added that strategic cooperation at the regional level through bodies such as the Asean Business Advisory Council (Asean BAC) could play a crucial role in representing the interests of the Asean private sector.
"Through such initiatives, a collective resolution can be achieved to ensure fairer trade policies and mitigate the negative impact of this tariff on businesses and investments in the region.
"With Asean solidarity, along with support from both the private sector and the government, more effective measures can be taken to safeguard Malaysia's and Asean's economic competitiveness," said Mohd Azamanizam.
On Wednesday, US President Trump announced that the country would introduce a baseline tariff of 10% on all countries and higher duties on some countries, including Malaysia at 24%.
Trump said tariffs ranging from 34% on Chinese goods, in addition to a 20% levy that is already imposed, to 20% tariffs on goods from the European Union, would enrich US coffers.
