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  1. Negotiations

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

US and Malaysia hold more talks on bilateral issues
17-May-2005     The Star
US and Malaysian trade officials recently held a second round of talks to discuss outstanding bilateral issues under the US-Malaysia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (Tifa), signed last May.
Malaysia recommended for FTA talks with US
18-Mar-2005    
Malaysia is among five countries that the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) has recommended that the US administration explore the possibility of negotiating free trade agreements (FTA) with.
US-M'sia FTA may take some time
19-Feb-2005    
The US-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks are unlikely to begin this year as the two countries have only begun formal discussions on the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) earlier this month.
Council meeting to enhance US-Malaysia trade
2-Feb-2005     The Star
The plan to expand and better manage bilateral trade co-operation between the United States and Malaysia gains ground tomorrow with the first working-level meeting of the joint Trade and Investment Council.
US and Malaysia sign TIFA
11-May-2004     Channel News Asia
The United States and Malaysia have signed an agreement to set up a special forum to address trade issues, Washington's fifth such pact with export-driven Southeast Asian nations.
MierScope: FTA with the US makes good sense
26-Apr-2004    
A US-Malaysia FTA will demand strong obligations from Malaysia. It will push us towards greater liberalisation. Complain as we may that such an FTA will be an instrument of economic imperialism, it will not be pragmatic to deny it.