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Malaysia to discuss semiconductor tariffs with U.S. at ASEAN summit next week

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Malaysia plans to hold talks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick next week on sectoral tariffs, including those on semiconductors, during the ASEAN Leaders Summit in Kuala Lumpur, state media reported on Wednesday.

The discussions come amid rising trade tensions after President Donald Trump’s administration imposed a 19% tariff on Malaysian exports to the U.S. in August. While semiconductors are currently exempt, they remain under review as part of a U.S. national security probe.

Malaysia is the world’s sixth-largest semiconductor exporter, and officials have warned that removing exemptions on chip exports could hurt competitiveness and disrupt global supply chains. Trade Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said he expects to finalize tariff negotiations with Washington during the summit, scheduled for October 26–28.

“I will hold discussions with Lutnick. He will also be attending the ASEAN Leaders Summit next week,” Tengku Zafrul told state news agency Bernama, adding that a final tariff agreement could be signed during the event.

The minister said Malaysia’s agriculture, industrial, and manufacturing sectors, as well as those engaged in U.S. trade and investment, are likely to benefit from the upcoming agreement. Several other ASEAN members are also expected to sign bilateral trade deals with Washington at the summit.

Under current U.S. policy, most Southeast Asian nations face tariffs between 19% and 20%, with Singapore receiving a 10% rate, while Laos and Myanmar have been hit with 40% tariffs.

Beijing ends Google probe, shifts focus to Nvidia in U.S. trade talks

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China has decided to end its antitrust investigation into Google, signaling a strategic shift as trade negotiations with Washington intensify over TikTok and Nvidia, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

The move indicates Beijing is redirecting regulatory pressure toward Nvidia as a bargaining tool in the ongoing trade talks, while closing the Google probe as a gesture of flexibility toward the United States.

According to the report, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation, which launched the investigation against Google in February, has dropped the case. The regulator had previously suggested Google might have violated China’s anti-monopoly law but did not provide further details. Google has reportedly not yet been formally notified of the decision.

Earlier this week, Chinese authorities accused Nvidia of breaching anti-monopoly rules following a preliminary review of its business practices. The shift comes amid heightened tensions, with both nations trading tariffs and regulatory measures in recent months. Washington imposed steep tariffs on Chinese goods and threatened to ban TikTok, while Beijing responded with its own tariffs and investigations targeting U.S. tech firms, including Google.

Trump Announces Upcoming Talks with China on TikTok Deal

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U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Friday that talks with China regarding a possible TikTok deal will begin early next week, with discussions likely on Monday or Tuesday.

Summary:

  • Trump said the U.S. “pretty much” has a deal for the sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations.

  • The talks could involve Chinese President Xi Jinping or his representatives.

  • Last month, Trump extended the deadline for ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, to divest its U.S. assets to September 17.

  • Earlier plans to spin off TikTok’s U.S. operations into a majority U.S.-owned company stalled after China indicated it might not approve the deal amid escalating U.S.-China tariff tensions.

  • Trump expressed cautious optimism about the deal being approved by China, citing a positive personal relationship with President Xi.

  • He emphasized that the deal would be beneficial for both countries.