KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is in the final stages of negotiations for a trade pact with the United States, said Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit for the 47th Asean Summit.
“We are in the final stages of negotiations... I can confirm this on Sunday,” he told reporters after attending the Asean Economic Community Council meetings here on Friday (Oct 24).
Tengku Zafrul said discussions on US tariffs are expected to take place bilaterally between individual countries and Washington during Trump’s visit to Kuala Lumpur this weekend.
“The negotiation on tariffs is done bilaterally between the United States and all countries, including Asean members. For Malaysia, and I am sure for others as well, these talks have been ongoing,” he said.
“We will see whether there are any agreements that will be concluded and signed during President Trump’s visit to Malaysia,” he said.
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Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had earlier said that trade negotiations between Malaysia and the United States have reached “some sort of conclusion”, hinting that discussions were “99.99% complete.”
At a separate briefing for top editors on the upcoming 47th Asean Summit, Anwar downplayed suggestions that the outcome of US-China trade negotiations would overshadow Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship.
