Guan Eng urges Putrajaya to help Malaysian firms reclaim share of RM543b illegal Trump tariffs

KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — The government should help Malaysian companies reclaim their share of an estimated US$166 billion (RM543 billion) in tariffs illegally collected by the United States since 2025, DAP advisor Lim Guan Eng said today.

His call comes after a US Supreme Court ruling invalidated the tariffs and led to a key Malaysia-US trade pact being nullified.

In a statement today, Lim argued that since the US court had deemed the tariffs illegal, Malaysian companies that were forced to pay them have a right to a full refund with interest.

“The courts have ruled that the government must grant refunds not only for all illegally collected tariffs but also pay interest on those payments,” the Bagan MP said, citing the February 2026 Supreme Court decision against tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

“The Malaysian government should tabulate how much of the US$166 billion in tariffs collected were paid by Malaysian companies and assist these companies to claim back their tariff refunds and interest.”

Yesterday, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani confirmed that the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) between Malaysia and the US was now “null and void” as a direct result of the court’s ruling.

Lim also noted today that US President Donald Trump has since proposed a new global tariff of 15 per cent to replace the measures struck down by the court.

“Whether these new tariffs legally comply with the need to give valid reasons, as required by the Supreme Court ruling, remains to be seen,” he added.

Under the second Trump administration, the US imposed reciprocal tariffs on Malaysian exports starting with an initial rate of 24 per cent announced in April 2025.

This was briefly raised to 25 per cent effective August 1, 2025, before being reduced to 19 per cent under the ART signed signed October 26, 2025.