Kuala lumpur: Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz has refuted claims that the United States (US) has requested exclusive access to rare earth products from Malaysia. In fact, he stated that there was no such request during the tariff negotiations.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Tengku Zafrul addressed speculations during a press conference, asserting that no exclusive access to Malaysia’s rare earth products was requested by the US. He emphasized that Malaysia has not agreed to supply rare earth elements exclusively to the US or any other countries, including neighboring countries or China.

The Lynas Malaysia Advanced Materials Plant near Kuantan, known as the world’s largest rare earth processing facility outside of China, processes rare earth concentrate from the Mount Weld mine in Western Australia. This plant serves customers across East Asia, the US, and Europe.

Meanwhile, Tengku Zafrul mentioned that the Malaysian government is advocating for zero tariffs on commodities such as cocoa, rubber, and palm oil exports to the US. He noted that if the US determines these are products they cannot produce domestically, there could be a possibility of exemption from the current 19 percent tariff.