KUALA LUMPUR: After receiving a “temporary reprieve” with the United States’ 90-day pause tariffs, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is now hoping for an amicable solution with the United States.
“Asean’s position is of course, for free trade, through mechanisms like the World Trade Organisation. If there are some adjustments and corrections to be made, we can always make it,” the Prime Minister told reporters at the sidelines of the 12th Asean Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting here on Thursday (April 10).
“So therefore we, of course, all of us, without exception, expressed displeasure disagreement with the unilateral decision on the part of United States. Not withstanding that I have said that we should not have this megaphone diplomacy,” he added.
He said the solution would be to engage, especially through a big economic bloc like Asean.
“Now we have got this sort of a reprieve, temporary one. We hope we are able to resolve this amicably. But at the same time, we have said that our engagement with other neighbors, including China, would continue,” he added.
Anwar also said that Malaysia was eager to host President Xi Jinping’s for his visit next week, adding that China was an important partner in trade and business.
Just hours after the tariffs against America’s trading partners came into effect on Wednesday (April 9), US President Donald Trump announced a 90 days pause on the implementation.
Trump said he was authorising a universal "lowered reciprocal tariff of 10%” against countries that have not retaliated and as negotiations continued.
Malaysia exports to the US were originally subjected to 24% reciprocal tariffs while Lao was hit with 48% and Indonesia with 32%.
At the same time he increased tariffs on goods from China to 125%, after Beijing retaliated by saying it would impose tariffs of 84% on US imports.
