Wong Siew Hai, leader of the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association, stated to CNA that businesses in the industry are anticipating the worst while hoping for the best.  ,
” We are waiting to see how much… we get hit ( in tariffs ),” Wong said.” It’s not business as usual right now.”  ,
” If you hope for the best, it will be 10 %. However, he continued,” I guess it’s 24 % ( same as Malaysia’s reciprocal tariff rate ), and hopefully not more,” he said.  ,
Wong claimed there was no current end to the semiconductor chip industry’s exports to the US, but that the doubt is not beneficial for the sector.  ,
According to business analyst Samuel Tan, who is also the president of the Johor-Indonesian Business Chamber, the 90-day purgatory is likely to have a ripple effect on the semiconductor supply chain.
The uncertainty-filled culture is bad for manufacturers, even with the 90-day relief. They won’t be able to purchase parts for upcoming output, which will inevitably destroy the entire supply chain, Tan said.  ,
Trade professional Deborah Elms predicted that semiconductor taxes could become higher than the 24 % reciprocal tariffs imposed on Malaysia.
Semiconductors and electronics are “at special risk,” she said, because they will be subject to a different kind of tariff program. Even if reciprocal taxes are eliminated or reduced, it is less likely that something similar will be applied to items sold under Section 232.
Elms noted that hardwood is being looked into under Section 232 and, consequently, this could have an impact on furniture goods.  ,
The Trump staff enjoys taking a very broad definition of a field, even though I do not believe this will get furniture. Elms, the founder of the Asian Trade Center and head of trade policy at the Hinrich Foundation, said it is” something worth watching ( out for )”.
In the fifth-highest exports to the US, a figure released by Trading Economics shows that furniture made up about 3.6 % of all total imports from Malaysia to the US in 2024, trailing only semiconductors, equipment, medical equipment, and plastic.
Some Muar furniture manufacturers are involved that forest and furniture may develop into a separate tariff category, according to KS Design’s Ng.
” We are a little involved… that timber could be subject to a separate tariff and that it would be more than the 24 % ( reciprocal tariff for Malaysia ),” he said.
RUBBER GLOVE COMPANIES AND PALM OIL MAY BENEFIT.
Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz acknowledged at a media conference on Monday that some” was yet benefit” from Trump’s taxes.
Business players and observers claim rubber, palm oil, and even semiconductors was benefit, but he did not specify which industries. However, the caveat is that US laws was quickly alter, making long-term estimates challenging.
Although the tariffs are not ideal, Nivas Ragavan, vice-chairman of the Federation of Malaysian Business Associations ( FMBA ), claimed that having a lower rate than its regional neighbors gives Malaysia a competitive advantage.
It might provide enough motivation for some US consumers and investors to purchase from Malaysia, he said, especially in those in industries like manufacturing, gadgets, and medical supplies.