KUALA LUMPUR: Tariffs are in the spotlight as the Asean Finance Ministers’ and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting (AFMGM) enters its second day on Tuesday (April 8).
The US tariffs were a recurring theme in speeches delivered by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his cabinet members, including Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan and Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, through different sessions of the meeting, including the Asean Investment Conference.
Putrajaya seems to have issued a clarion call, calling on its partners in Asean to strengthen cooperation and face this challenge together.
This follows a meeting between senior Asean officials and the United States (US) Department of the Treasury (UST) Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia, Robert Kaproth, on Monday (April 7).
Kaproth presented the policy outlook and discussed the effects of the new tariffs announcement on Asean.
When met, a well-placed official linked to the US shared that Asean should take a balanced and innovative approach to addressing the issue at hand.
Other key agendas discussed at the series of meetings included the Priority Economic Deliverables for 2025, the Asean Economic Community Blueprint and Strategic Plan 2026-2030, and the Asean Power Grid Financing Facility.
The meetings held on Tuesday were the closed-door Asean+3 Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meetings.
Additionally, the Securities Commissions and Bank Negara Malaysia hosted a series of panel discussions and forums on the economic landscape of Asean.
