The United States does not have a coherent trade policy. It has a political strategy masquerading as trade policy that has taken dead aim at China. Unsurprisingly, China has responded in kind. With the two superpowers drawing on their allies for support – the US leaning on the G7 and China turnin...

The Asia Portfolio: The Dangerous Incoherence of US Trade Policy

The current wave of anti-Chinese sentiment in the US has been building for years. It started in the early 2000s, when US policymakers first raised national security concerns about Huawei. China’s national technology champion, the market leader in developing new 5G telecommunications equipment, wa...

The Asia Portfolio: American Sinophobia 

Technology is ground zero in the conflict between the US and China. For the American hegemony, it is about the leading edge of geostrategic power and the means for sustained prosperity. For China, it holds the key to the indigenous innovation required of a rising power. The tech war now underway ...

The Asia Portfolio: The Sino-American tech trap

This article first appeared in Forum, The Edge Malaysia Weekly, on October 5 - 11, 2015.

 

Increasingly reliant on each other for sustainable economic growth, the US and China have fallen into a classic codependency trap, bristling at changes in the rules of enga...

The Asia Portfolio: The Sino-American codependency trap

(April 10): US President Donald Trump said he would pause higher reciprocal tariffs on dozens of non-retaliating countries for 90 days, while raising duties on China to 125%. 

It wasn’t immediately clear which nations would receive tariff relief. Those who do would still be taxed a...

Trump pauses higher duties on most nations, hikes China tariffs to 125%

Asean, which has faced a series of global uncertainties, has emerged from a quiet corner of the global economy to become central to it, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

From currency shocks to global contagion, Asean has seen it all, the prime minister said in his keynote address at the gala dinner in conjunction with Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship of the Finance Track here on Wednesday.

Asean emerges as a central player in global economy after overcoming series of adversities — Anwar

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s trip to see President Xi Jinping will offer a chance to swap notes on a common problem: how to respond to an increasingly unreliable US.

Sanchez, who is due in Beijing on Friday, will be the first European leader to visit China since President Donald Trump slapped tariffs on most of the world. With agreements due to be signed in areas including pharmaceuticals, agricultural and medical products, Sanchez can argue that Spain is the go-to partner for China in Europe at a time of growing economic uncertainty.

Spain pushing for EU pivot to China to counter Trump tariffs

Spain will pursue closer trade ties with China in the interests of its citizens and of the EU, its agriculture minister Luis Planas said on Wednesday, rejecting a US warning that moving closer to the Asian country would be "cutting your own throat".

Spain defends closer trade ties with China after US warns against 'cutting own throat'

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the administration is considering plans to offer assistance to farmers amid worries that the US-China trade war will have a disastrous effect on American agricultural producers.

US weighs farmer bailout as China retaliation threatens exports

CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd rejected accusations it failed to pay about 1.2 billion balboas (US$1.2 billion or RM5.4 billion) to the Panamanian state over the concession contract to run the two key ports in the Central American country.

CK Hutchison rejects accusations over Panama Ports payments

KUALA LUMPUR (April 9): Here is a brief recap of some corporate announcements that made news on Wednesday;

AMMB Holdings Bhd's (KL:AMBANK) group chief financial officer Shafiq Abdul Jabbar is stepping down “to pursue other professional opportunities”. Industry sources say Shafiq ...

AMMB, KIP REIT, Khee San, Sapura Energy, Jati Tinggi, AWC, Hibiscus Petroleum, HHRG

China on Wednesday issued a risk alert for Chinese tourists travelling to the US, according to a statement from the culture and tourism ministry.

China issues risk alert for tourists travelling to US

The angry mutterings at the Permian Basin Petroleum Association’s “Spring Swing” golf tournament this week weren’t all about missed putts or lost balls. The Texas oilmen on the fairways had a more serious concern: The president they helped elect was tanking oil prices.

Texas wildcatters impatient with Trump as oil prices tank

When the 24% reciprocal tariff US President Trump imposed on Malaysia on April 9 takes effect, Malaysia would face the biggest economic threat since we transitioned from an agricultural and commodity exporting country to a manufacturing exporting country in the 1980s. The reciprocal tariff would bulldoze all the economic prosperity that Malaysia has generated since then, rendering us a hollowed industrial ecosystem with a high unemployment rate.

How Malaysia’s manufacturing industries can survive Trump’s reciprocal tariff

AMMB Holdings Bhd's (KL:AMBANK) group chief financial officer Shafiq Abdul Jabbar is stepping down “to pursue other professional opportunities”,&nbsp;the banking group said in a bourse filing on Wednesday.

AMMB CFO to step down, said to be joining Maybank

Cuckoo International (MAL) Bhd said on Wednesday it is delaying its Bursa Malaysia listing by two months due to the current global market volatility.

Cuckoo International delays Bursa listing to June amid market rout

Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) is looking to exit its positions in legacy investments, allowing it to strengthen other asset classes, including fixed income, said its deputy president and group chief executive officer Datuk Rick Ramli.

PNB looking to quit legacy investments to strengthen portfolio

The High Court on Wednesday recorded a consent judgement between 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), SRC International Sdn Bhd, along with several other companies, and Shabnam Naraindas Daswani, where the Singaporean national was sued along with Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

1MDB withdraws suit against Singaporean Shabnam in US$346m Rosmah luxury goods case

Emphasising a people-first approach,&nbsp;Lim Seong Hai Capital Bhd (KL:LSH) non-executive chairman Tan Sri Lim&nbsp;Keng&nbsp;Cheng said his vision for the Kuala Lumpur Tower is grounded in compassion and continuity, particularly in safeguarding the livelihoods of all existing staff.

LSH Capital chairman refutes KL Tower staff replacement rumours

China retaliated against new tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump by announcing it would raise duties on US goods, roiling markets and deepening a trade war between the world’s largest economies.

China raises tariffs on US goods to 84% as trade rift worsens

The sweeping United States (US) tariffs will be credit negative for the Asia-Pacific (Apac), but lower-tariff countries such as Malaysia, India and the Philippines may gain market share through trade triangulation to serve the US market, according to Moody’s Ratings.

Malaysia among countries that could boost market share as US tariffs shift Apac trade — Moody’s

The drugs and firearms trial involving Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s former research officer Muhammad Yusoff Rawther took a turn at the High Court on Wednesday, following questions over how the front passenger door of his Nissan Teana could be opened, after he had previously failed to do so using the car’s remote control.

Questions arise as to how front passenger door to Yusoff Rawther's car could be opened

(April 9):&nbsp;The owners of Edotco Group Sdn Bhd&nbsp;are seeking a financial adviser to help with a sale that could value the Malaysian telecommunication tower company at about US$3 billion (RM13.49 billion) including debt, people familiar with the matter said.

Axiata said to seek adviser for Edotco sale — Bloomberg

Oil prices fell to a four-year low on Wednesday while several commodities, including coffee, tumbled as the trade war between China and the US intensified.

Oil hits four-year low, coffee falls as trade war escalates

Malaysia is set to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state visit from April 15 to 17, Madani government spokesperson Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said.

China's Xi to visit Malaysia from April 15 to 17, says Fahmi

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he envisions reaching trade agreements with US allies that would then lay the ground for a collective approach toward Beijing to address what he described as China’s unbalanced trade structure.

Bessent sees a deal with allies, then group approach on China

Below is a summary of how key Bursa Malaysia indices and the ringgit performed on Wednesday.

FBM KLCI hits 20-month low, down 2.98% to 1,400.59 on April 9, 2025

KUALA LUMPUR (April 9): The FBM KLCI extended its losing streak on Wednesday, plunging past the 1,400 level amid broad-based sell-offs across global markets, as US President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs came into force at 12:01pm local time.

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The benchmark index, which opened 6.55 points or 0.5% lower at 1,437.01, skidded to as low as 1,386.63 in the afternoon — its weakest level since June 2023, before regaining some losses to close at 1,400.59 — still down 42.97 points or 2.98%.

Among the top laggards on the 30-stock FBM KLCI were CIMB Group Holdings Bhd (KL:CIMB), which fell 4.94%; Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd (KL:METAL), which dropped 4.92%; and Gamuda Bhd, which declined 4.77%.

The FBM Mid 70 Index — which tracks the next 70 largest companies listed on Bursa by market capitalisation after FBM KLCI constituents — dropped 2.71%. The FBM ACE Index, which tracks ACE Market listees, slid 3.89%. The broader FBM Emas Index shed 2.88%.

SumiSaujana Group Bhd (KL:SUMI), which made its ACE Market debut on Wednesday, was caught in the whirlwind, plunging 25% or six sen to close at 18 sen, compared to its initial public offer price of 24 sen per share.

All the sectoral indices on Bursa were in the red, with the top five largest losers being the Energy Index (down 4.94%), followed by the Financial Services Index (3.92%), the Industrial Products and Services Index (3.66%),&nbsp; the Technology Index (3.65%) and the Construction Index (3.41%).

Throughout Bursa, 919 decliners outnumbered 224 gainers, while 320 counters remained unchanged. Trading volume rose to 3.77 billion shares worth RM3.79 billion from 3.32 billion shares valued at RM2.83 billion on Tuesday.

This is still lower than Monday's panic-driven trading volume of 5.35 billion shares, valued at RM4.67 billion, when Malaysian stocks lost RM93.15 billion amid a steep sell-off that saw the FBM KLCI dropping by as much as 5.65%, its largest single-day drop since the global financial crisis in 2008.

Sentiment for the Malaysian stock market remains fragile, with additional downside risks ahead if the ongoing tariff dispute persists, recession fears grow, or commodity prices — crucial to the nation’s economy — further decline, according to Fortress Capital founder and CEO Datuk Thomas Yong.

Oil prices have skidded over the past week. At the time of writing on Wednesday, Brent Crude was at US$60.18 per barrel — the lowest since February 2021, down over 4%. Malaysia's Budget 2025 assumes a global oil price forecast of US$75-80 per barrel.

“Historically, markets can stabilise after such steep drops if clarity emerges, but that seems unlikely for now, with mixed signals from the Trump administration and China vowing not to back off from further trade retaliation,” Yong told The Edge.

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Maybank Investment Bank, in a note, advised caution, noting that most sectors are still in a downtrend as attention shifts to the upcoming US consumer price index data.

Still relatively shielded

Malacca Securities' Loui Low, meanwhile, told The Edge that further downside risks are limited, as investors have priced in Trump's latest actions. Should there be no further retaliatory measures, the market could recover, Low said.

He suggested focusing on domestic sectors like construction, renewables, utilities, real estate investment trusts and consumer stocks. For export-oriented plays, he highlighted the glove sector due to the relatively favourable tariff Malaysian manufacturers face, compared to the much steeper Chinese ones.

Malaysian goods face a 24% tariff in the US, while China's goods have been slapped with an 84% levy after the Trump administration imposed an additional 50% duty on Chinese products in response to China's retaliatory 34% duties on US goods.

Rakuten Trade's Kenny Yee said the Malaysian market is relatively shielded from global risks, with lower volatility. He recommended focusing on blue chips, particularly in the banking sector.

CIMB Securities, meanwhile, listed Bursa Malaysia Bhd (KL:BURSA), CTOS Digital Bhd (KL:CTOS) and MyEG Services Bhd (KL:MYEG) as companies that remain unaffected by the US tariffs.

&nbsp;

More to come

FBM KLCI tumbles past 1,400 as Trump's tariffs kick in

Asean+3 ministers will operationalise the Rapid Financing Facility, aimed at helping financially distressed member countries to cushion against exogenous shocks or financial problems caused by external factors.

Asean+3 to operationalise Rapid Financing Facility to help financially distressed members, says BNM deputy governor

Cybersecurity firm LGMS Bhd (KL:LGMS) has proposed to acquire an equity stake — at a price and size yet to be determined — in Antarex Holdings Sdn Bhd, as part of its strategy to expand its footprint across Southeast Asia.

Cybersecurity firm LGMS seeks a stake in Antarex to expand regional presence

Malaysia is seeking to boost automotive exports to help narrow a four-decade trade deficit in the sector, said a top government official, and help could come from an unexpected country: the US.

Malaysia wants to boost automotive exports, US tariffs may just help, says Miti official

Sapura Energy Bhd (KL:SAPNRG) said on Wednesday that it had secured a contract worth RM40 million for maintenance, construction and modification services for offshore facilities in Peninsular Malaysia.

Sapura Energy secures RM40 mil offshore facilities operations and maintenance contract

KUALA LUMPUR (April 9): WTEC Group Bhd, a foam and fabric products maker preparing to list on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia, expects at least 10% revenue growth in 2026, after acquiring a new factory by the third quarter of 2025.&nbsp;

WTEC Group aims for 10% revenue growth in 2026 with IPO-funded factory acquisition

Asean has received overwhelming support from the US-Asean Business Council (US-ABC) to convey key messages to Washington that its tariffs can severely impact businesses in Southeast Asia with the fallout inevitably jeopardising American trade and investments in the region.&nbsp;

Stephen S Roach