PETALING JAYA: Following the announcement of reciprocal tariffs by the United States, Malaysians seek clarification whether this will have any bearing on their day-to-day matters.
Many are also unsure of what the tariffs will mean for regular Malaysians and hope that the government can explain the possible impact.
Operations manager Johnson Wong, 35, asked whether there is any possibility of price increases for any goods.
ALSO READ:
“From what I understand, it will have an impact on bigger business sectors but it will be good if the government can give assurance on whether this will affect ordinary folks.
“If there is any possible trickle down effect, it should be made transparent too so we can anticipate and prepare for it,” he said.
Amir Johan, who is a senior executive at a construction firm, also questioned the possibility of any costs being passed down to consumers.
“It’s easier to understand the whole situation for cases like removing subsidies but in the case of tariffs, it’s something rather new to us,” said the 33-year-old.
Similar to Wong, Amir asked for transparency in relaying any information, even indirect impacts of the tariffs, to the public.
“For example, if our clients are affected by the tariffs, there could be a trickle down. By having more knowledge on the matter, we will be able to prepare for it better,” he said.
ALSO READ:
- Trump tariffs provoke world condemnation and fears of a US$2,300 iPhone
- Trump’s trade tantrum
- ‘Time to capitalise on the JS-SEZ and speed up talks on trade pacts’
A retail executive who wanted to be known only as Kumareson asked for a simple explanation on how the tariffs impact the country.
“To be frank, I’m quite unclear on what it means.
“I was told that it could potentially mean Malaysian businesses losing clients based in the United States due to the higher prices they (US importers) have to pay when bringing in our products.
“But, it’s still unclear if this will see any effect on our domestic market,” he said.
This follows a 24% reciprocal tariff to be imposed by the US on Malaysia and several other countries.
It is scheduled to take effect on April 9.
