Kuala Lumpur: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has refuted the United States’s claim that Malaysia has imposed a 47 percent tariff on US imports into Malaysia. He stated that the calculation was based on the simple ratio of the US trade deficit with Malaysia to its total imports from Malaysia in 2024.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Anwar explained that this claim served as the basis for the US to impose a retaliatory tariff of 24 percent on Malaysia, which is a 50 percent reduction from the alleged 47 percent tariff by Malaysia. Anwar emphasized that this calculation does not reflect the actual tariff level and lacks sound economic theory. He clarified that the average tariff imposed on US imports into Malaysia is only 5.6 percent.

This figure was acknowledged by the Office of the United States Trade Representative in the ‘2025 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers of the President of the United States on the Trade Agreements Program’, published on March 31, 2025. The prime minister shared these insights during a Special Parliamentary Meeting addressing the US tariffs.

Anwar highlighted the seriousness with which the government views the US’s retaliatory tariffs, considering the importance of the US as Malaysia’s largest export destination and source of foreign investment. He stressed the need for addressing trade challenges pragmatically, focusing on national interests while maintaining good relations with all trading partners.