Malaysia calls for broader intra-ASEAN trade to counter U.S. tariff risks

Minister says competition to draw investment away from China 'not zero-sum game'

20250305 Malaysian Trade Minister Zafrul Aziz

Malaysia's investment, trade and industry minister, Zafrul Aziz, calls for broader intra-ASEAN trade in an interview with Nikkei Asia. (Photo by Norman Goh)

NORMAN GOH

KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia has called for greater intra-ASEAN trade and economic integration within the bloc, which is bracing for potential ripple effects from new U.S. tariffs.

"We must ensure ASEAN's internal trade grows faster," Zafrul Aziz, the Malaysian minister of investment, trade and industry, told Nikkei Asia in an interview. "The priority is clear: ASEAN must build economic resilience from within while remaining indispensable to global trade."

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