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US-Malaysia

Having signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement on 10 May 2004, the US and Malaysia agreed in early 2006 to start negotiating a bilateral Free Trade Agreement. US negotiators indicated that they expected to conclude talks by the end of 2006 but that was not to be.

The Malaysian government has been putting up a fight on various issues such as government procurement (which Malaysia does not want to open to US participation) and its Bumiputra policy (giving special preferences to ethnic Malays). Social movements, on the other hand, reject the talks particularly in terms of the implications of a deal on access to medicines, intellectual property and Malaysia’s autonomy to set policies. The negotiations have stalled since 2009, and are now effectively on ice.

last update: May 2012

Photo: Third World Network


Malaysia hopes to upgrade trade deal with US during Najib’s visit
“Now without TPPA, we are thinking of having an upgraded version of TIFA with the US, as TIFA is an agreement to go towards the goal of establishing a free-trade agreement at the end,” Second International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan said
Malaysia studying new regional trade pact with US
Malaysia said Thursday that negotiations towards a bilateral trade pact with the United States have been shelved and it is now considering joining a regional deal promoted by the US.
Trans-Pacific pact will provide better results, says AMCHAM
US businesses in Malaysia said a broader trade pact like the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement will provide better results than the stalled US-Malaysia free trade agreement (FTA) talks.
Miti to make decision on Malaysia-US FTA talks soon
Trade Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed hopes to find out in a few weeks if the country should still pursue a free trade area deal with the US, its biggest trading partner, or join a regional pact instead.
Malaysia-US FTA dialogue still stalled
The dialogue between Malaysia and the United States on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), stalled since the middle of last year, has seen no new development, said the Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Mustapa Mohamed.
US-Malaysia: One hitch may be taken off FTA talks
One obstacle in US-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement talks may be taken off the table following high-powered discussions on government procurement between the two trade partners.
US may use trade deal with Malaysia as model: MIER
The US is keen to sign a free trade agreement with Malaysia and to use it as a role model for the world’s largest economy to sign similar agreements with other Muslim countries, says the executive director of the Malaysia Institute of Economic Research
New round of Malaysia-US FTA talks may resume sooner than expected
US Ambassador to Malaysia James R.Keith said the Obama administration was in the process of reviewing aspects of the agreement and would speed up the new round of talks with Malaysia.
Liberalisation will facilitate US-M’sia FTA talks
Liberalisation of the financial sector will facilitate the free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between Malaysia and the United States, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said today.
US-Malaysia FTA talks may be further delayed
The US-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement talks, which is poised to enter into its ninth round, is due to be delayed further pending the appointment of a new US top trade official, according to a senior US State Department official.

    Links


  • US-ASEAN FTA Business Council
    It aims to removing constraints on trade and investment activities in ASEAN, and elevating the importance of the U.S.-ASEAN economic relationship to American and ASEAN public policy makers and business leaders.