Envoy: US-Malaysia ties remain strong despite TPP withdrawal
GEORGE TOWN: The United States’s partnership with Malaysia, including its economic relationship, remains strong, despite the US’s withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement.
US ambassador to Malaysia Kamala S. Lakhdhir said the two countries had enjoyed strong economic ties for decades, which remain unchanged and fundamental to the partnership between both countries.
“The US administration is very clear that we are interested in our strong economic and trade engagement in Malaysia.
“Our goal is for both countries to continue to expand and deepen this partnership, and one of the pillars of the partnership is economic and trade partnership,” she told the New Sunday Times here yesterday.
Lakhdhir said the US administration’s commitment to preserve and strengthen the economic ties between the two countries was evident from the meeting arranged next week between US trade representatives and their Malaysian counterparts in the International Trade and Industry Ministry.
“This is the first engagement the new administration is having to discuss trade and investment issues, the way forward in this partnership and what’s important to both sides.”
Addressing concerns of US companies pulling back from Malaysia, Lakhdhir said any policy aimed at pulling US companies back would be passed only after intensive studies, analyses and engagement with countries and industry players. Even then, she said, the decision to withdraw from a country was up to companies.
She said the new administration had issued an executive order to look for information and deeper understanding on a number of issues, including its trade deficit. The US has trade deficits with a number of nations, including Malaysia.