Miti welcomes US move to review AI chip export rules, sees benefits for semiconductors
The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) said Malaysia is actively engaging with key trading partners to ensure secure and equitable access to critical technologies through the National Geoeconomic Command Centre (NGCC).
"We support frameworks that promote trust, national security and access to tech for responsible nations,' MITI said in response to Bernama's query on news reports that Washington plans to revisit AI export curbs.
MITI said that as a key player in the global semiconductor ecosystem, the MADANI Government remains open to strategic collaboration that drives innovation and inclusive growth.
Meanwhile, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said such a move would benefit Malaysia, especially the semiconductor industry, while noting that more details would come up after this.
"So, we welcome this move and I think when I spoke to the industry players, they are also very pleased because Malaysia is obviously one of the major destinations, especially given the technology that we produce and use here all involves chips,' he told a press conference after visiting the Malaysia Autoshow (MAS) 2025 at MAEPS Serdang today.
Tengku Zafrul said MITI deputy secretary-general (trade) Mastura Ahmad Mustafa had two meetings with the United States trade representatives (USTR).
"We will continue (our meeting with USTR), and next week, I will be meeting USTR's Jamieson Greer.
"I will be flying into Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). He will also be there, and we will take stock of the negotiations that have started between our chief negotiator and the USTR,' he added. - Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Why markets may soon call Trump's tariff bluff
THREE months after United States President Donald Trump announced plans to impose sweeping new tariffs on most countries, the United States economy appears surprisingly resilient. The stock market has rebounded from its initial slump, inflation remains under control and fears of a recession have receded, or at least they had before Trump announced a new 30% tariff on imports from Mexico and the European Union (EU), two of America's biggest trading partners. In the months since Trump's initial announcement, several countries have entered negotiations with the United States, offering concessions they had long resisted. Many observers view this as evidence that Trump's aggressive trade tactics are working and that economists may have overestimated the potential costs. Yet this interpretation overlooks a critical detail: many of the tariffs that Trump announced over the past few months have not been fully implemented. In fact, the administration has repeatedly backed down from its initial threats, a pattern so consistent that it has earned the acronym Taco: 'Trump always chickens out.' Despite its outspoken distrust of experts, particularly economists, scientists and health professionals, the Trump administration has consistently been attuned to financial markets. Since early April, announcements of new or increased duties have repeatedly triggered stock-market declines. In response, the administration has often softened its stance by issuing exemptions, delaying some tariffs, and renegotiating others, leading to quick rebounds in equity prices. Announcements of bilateral deals have been met with investor optimism, while renewed threats of escalation have triggered sell-offs. Until recently, this feedback loop has helped rein in the administration's trade policies. But the latest escalation, including a 50% tariff on copper, higher-than-expected tariffs on goods from Vietnam and stalled negotiations with the EU, has barely moved the markets, with equity prices remaining elevated. The most plausible explanation is that investors no longer believe the administration will follow through on its threats. Instead, they see them as part of a now-familiar cycle: bold proclamations followed by delays or partial implementation. Complacency, however, introduces a new kind of risk. If markets become desensitised to Trump's tariff threats, they may no longer serve as an effective check on potentially harmful policies. Freed from that constraint, Trump could be emboldened to move forward with measures his administration has so far been reluctant to implement. It is a classic 'boy who cried wolf' dynamic. In the early stages, Trump's aggressive rhetoric helped bring negotiating partners to the table without triggering the worst-case economic scenarios, largely because the market backlash acted as a deterrent. But as investors increasingly dismiss his tariff threats, the likelihood that he will follow through on them grows. And if that happens, the long-feared consequences could finally materialise: higher consumer prices, reduced trade, disrupted supply chains and slower long-term growth. This dynamic extends beyond financial markets. Many countries that were once firmly committed to multilateralism are now pursuing bilateral deals with the United States in the hope of avoiding punitive tariffs. Some see these developments as vindication of the administration's current approach, evidence that the United States can use its economic power to reshape a system seen as unfavourable to American interests. But the shift toward bilateralism is less an endorsement of Trump's approach than a pragmatic response. Confronting the United States directly would be costly. Finding themselves on increasingly hostile and unpredictable terrain, many governments are buying time and hedging their bets. Such hedging can move in only one direction: away from the United States and toward alternative trading partners, particularly China. For most countries, that is not the preferred outcome. Vietnam, for example, has openly expressed its desire to strengthen ties with the United States rather than deepen its reliance on China. But as US trade policy grows more erratic, governments are increasingly being forced to choose between the two powers. The irony is that Trump's efforts to bully foreign governments will ultimately diminish America's global influence. Economic leverage, after all, depends on engagement. The United States can pressure trading partners today precisely because it remains deeply integrated into the global economy. Consequently, US policymakers now find themselves in a double bind. In the short term, financial markets have mitigated the impact of Trump's aggressive rhetoric by discouraging implementation of the policies that follow from it. But if investors keep treating his threats as empty noise, they will ignore the wolf when it appears. Moreover, given the United States' central role in the global trading system, its retreat from multilateralism will drive other countries to seek alternatives and diversify their trade relationships. As they become less dependent on the United States market, American bargaining power will inevitably decline. While the Trump administration's strategy may appear to be working, the absence of immediate costs is not evidence of its long-term viability. Instead, it is a sign that the warnings were heard and for a time heeded. If the administration ignores those warnings, economists' dire predictions may come true. — The Jakarta Post/ANN Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg is a professor of economics at Yale University and a former World Bank Group chief economist and editor-in-chief of the American Economic Review. The views expressed here are the writer's own.
Barnama
an hour ago
- Barnama
Global Unity Key To Ending Gaza Suffering
By Ahmad Idzwan Arzmi and Suraidah Roslan KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 (Bernama) -- Iran's Ambassador to Malaysia, Valiollah Mohammadi Nasrabadi, has called for united global action - by both Muslim and non-Muslim nations - to pressure Israel into ending its blockade of Gaza as the humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave escalates to a devastating scale. Raising the alarm over the worsening situation in Gaza, Valiollah said collective international action is needed to de-escalate tensions and address the crisis as the population faces severe starvation due to Israel's continued blockade of aid access. bootstrap slideshow 'The only way forward is unity. Muslim and non-Muslim countries must come together and take collective action against Israel's criminal aggression in support of the Palestinian people,' he said in an interview with Bernama in Malaysia's capital on Wednesday. He said the ongoing crisis requires collective and coordinated efforts from all countries, regardless of religious or geopolitical alignment, to pressure Israel to open the border and allow immediate humanitarian aid. 'We believe that all nations, especially Muslim and developing countries, must stand united and take concrete steps,' he said. On Iran's nuclear programme, Valiollah reaffirmed the country's long-standing commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and stressed its firm opposition to nuclear weapons. He said Iran's nuclear activities are strictly for peaceful purposes, including in the fields of energy, medicine and agriculture. 'Iran was one of the founders of the NPT and has always emphasised that countries in the Middle East must remain a nuclear weapons-free zone and stay united for peaceful purposes.
Barnama
an hour ago
- Barnama
Iran Values Ties With Malaysia, Seeks To Expand Cooperation
By Suraidah Roslan and Ahmad Idzwan Arzmi KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 (Bernama) -- Iran remains committed to strengthen its relations with Malaysia and is actively seeking to explore new cooperations across all sectors. Iranian Ambassador to Malaysia Valiollah Mohammadi Nasrabadi said ties between Tehran and Kuala Lumpur have remained strong despite Iran having been under sanctions for 45 years. bootstrap slideshow 'Our relation and cooperation (with Malaysia) are good and of course, among the best that we have. But in terms of the economic cooperation, both countries are trying our best to expand the relationship,' he told Bernama in an interview here, Wednesday. Nasrabadi said the country hopes to expand its cooperation with Malaysia in high value sectors such as medical tourism, in which Iran can offer its advanced technology, and also in the defence and technology industries. He said Iran participated in the Defence Services Asia (DSA) and National Security Asia (NATSEC) exhibition held here last year, along with the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) last May. He said both countries can deepen their trade ties in the agriculture sector. 'We have a lot of products that maybe Malaysia can import, such as fruit. At the same time, we import many products from Malaysia, including palm oil and cocoa. 'We are good friends so, we must work together and try to achieve good outcome,' he said.
