At the regional level, ASEAN continues to support the rule-based multilateral trading system with the WTO principles as core.
The Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz confirmed progress on finalising the US-Malaysia trade agreement ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit in late October, but stopped short of announcing new measures, saying the deal is now in the “scrubbing” stage.
Asean member states should forge stronger regional cooperation in the steel industry, to accelerate the creation of an Asean integrated market, as well as overall integration.
The tariff shockwaves of 2025 have presented ASEAN with its most significant test of unity since the 1997 financial crisis – and also its greatest opportunity for transformation.
The Indonesian government has officially agreed on two strategic economic agreements, namely the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA) and the Indonesia-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (ICA-CEPA).
Indonesia is currently preparing a system that aims to make it as easy as possible for its companies to benefit from the preferential tariffs.
Malaysia’s Steel Industry Roadmap 2035 aims to reduce overproduction, strengthen the industry, and shift to low-carbon practices to meet net zero goals.
Malaysia's palm oil stocks are expected to decline in the coming months, ending the year at around 1.7 million metric tons, as a seasonal slowdown in production coincides with rising exports to meet festive season demand, the industry regulator said.
<p>Time: November 2025<br /> By: WTO and International Trade Group, Legal Department – VCCI</p>
