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Penang Gears Up for Trump’s Tariffs: Chow Calls for Industry Input and Patience

Penang, Malaysia’s semiconductor hub, is bracing for the impact of new U.S. tariffs announced by President Donald Trump, effective April 9, 2025, imposing a 24% duty on Malaysian imports. Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow is engaging industry players through a Penang Institute roundtable on Friday to assess the effects, particularly on the state’s electronics and electrical (E&E) exports to U.S. tech firms.

While some experts suggest Malaysia’s lower tariff rate compared to neighbors like Vietnam (46%) and Thailand (37%) could offer advantages, Chow urges patience and negotiation with the U.S., hopeful that E&E sectors might be exempted. Feedback has been submitted to federal leaders for further action.

Tariffs Threat

Here are some direct quotes from Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow based on the Penang story regarding Trump’s tariffs:

On Penang’s economic resilience (from February context):
“Penang’s solid economic foundation, built over the last five decades, puts the state in a strong position to withstand any of Trump’s tariff policies.”

On the initial response to the tariff announcement:
“We are still in the early stages after the announcement was made by President Trump last week, and many parties have given their views and opinions about this issue, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. They have all urged us to be patient and to better understand the situation and its impact on our country.”

On the potential positive outlook:
“Some experts have voiced out that compared to our neighbouring countries, such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia, the percentage in Malaysia was rather low.”

On the need for patience and analysis:
“We are still at an early stage and we need to be patient to discuss the best approach.”

On federal government action:
“I believe that after examining all the feedback, the federal government will act accordingly (and) will negotiate with the US.”

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