THE Malaysian government says it has yet to receive any formal communication from Washington regarding the status of its Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) between the United States and Malaysia, following a ruling by the US Supreme Court that invalidated much of the global tariff framework introduced during the presidency of Donald Trump.
Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani,said the United States had not issued any official written notification confirming the cancellation of the agreement, adding that Washington is expected to spend the next five months reviewing tariff arrangements affecting dozens of countries.
“There is none, none (no official notification from the US government regarding the formal cancellation of the ART). They (the US) said the court (the US Supreme Court) ruled that the decision is null and void.
“In the first five months we discussed it, but now they are investigating every country... There are 60 countries involved.
“Later, when they (the US) obtain the findings, they will give us a proposal for Malaysia and so on. Then we will review it and discuss what the conditions are,” he said.
Johari made the remarks to reporters after launching the Kampung Angkat MADANI programme for the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry at Masjid Al-Akram in Kampung Datuk Keramat in Kuala Lumpur.
Also present was MITI secretary-general Hairil Yahri Yaacob.
The minister said Washington was currently reviewing tariff arrangements affecting about 60 countries following the court decision, after which it would present revised proposals to Malaysia and other partners.
Malaysia, he said, would then evaluate the terms before entering further discussions with the United States.
Johari also dismissed calls from opposition lawmakers demanding a fuller explanation from the government about the status of the trade arrangement, urging them instead to examine the ruling delivered by the US court.
“Explain what exactly... tell them to read the US court’s decision. The US has not even written to us (regarding the formal cancellation of the ART),” he said.
Earlier, the opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional called for a special parliamentary sitting to allow lawmakers to receive a detailed briefing and debate the implications of the annulment of the Reciprocal Trade Agreement between Malaysia and the United States.
Following the US court’s decision, Perikatan Nasional chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan said the development raised serious questions about the actual status of negotiations and the commitments previously made by the Malaysian government under the agreement.
At the same time, eight Members of Parliament from the ruling party PKR also urged the government to provide a detailed explanation and to formally confirm, through diplomatic channels, whether the Reciprocal Trade Agreement between Malaysia and the United States had indeed been cancelled. - March 17, 2026
