KUALA LUMPUR: Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz and Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan will travel to Washington DC at the end of this month to discuss the United States’ reciprocal tariffs, says Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
The Communications Minister said Tengku Zafrul and Amir Hamzah will present the agreements made in the National Geoeconomics Command Centre Meeting (NGCC) on Monday to the negotiation table with the United States.
“They will bring what was agreed in this meeting to begin talks with the White House on the tariffs.
“This is also a result of a consensus among Asean countries to deal with the US tariffs issue collectively. So, we will see the results when they return here,” he told a press conference at Angkasapuri Media City here yesterday.
On Monday, after the first NGCC meeting, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the council will focus on strengthening Malaysia’s response to global economic developments, which includes the tariff issue and cooperation among Asean countries.
US President Donald Trump had announced reciprocal tariffs against several countries on April 2 and Malaysia was hit with a 24% tariff. However, on April 9, Trump announced a 90-day pause for countries hit by the higher tariffs.
Meanwhile, Fahmi described Chinese President Xi Jinping’s three-day official visit to Malaysia as a success with 31 memoranda of understanding inked.
“This official visit has not only strengthened trade relations between the two countries, but also made Xi and Anwar closer,” Fahmi noted.
Xi began his South-East Asian tour by visiting Vietnam on Monday and then Malaysia from Tuesday. The Chinese leader departed for Cambodia after concluding his visit here yesterday.
This is Xi’s first overseas visit in 2025 and his second visit to Malaysia in 12 years.
His last visit here in 2013 saw the two countries upgrade diplomatic relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Xi’s South-East Asian tour is being closely watched amid growing international economic uncertainty following reciprocal tariffs announced by the United States earlier this month.
