Kuala Lumpur: The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) has appointed its deputy secretary-general (trade), Mastura Ahmad Mustafa, as Malaysia's chief negotiator for the upcoming formal tariff negotiations with the United States. Mastura, one of MITI's most seasoned senior civil servants, will lead Malaysia in discussions aimed at addressing various trade issues with the US. According to BERNAMA News Agency, MITI minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz announced that the United States has also appointed one of its assistant US trade representatives to head the talks. Both countries are set to begin discussions pending Malaysia's Cabinet approval. "We are now waiting for Cabinet approval before proceeding. The US side has agreed to engage, and both the USTR and Secretary of Commerce want to take this forward," Tengku Zafrul stated during MITI's open house event. Key focus areas for the negotiations include reducing tariffs, addressing non-tariff barriers, particularly in agriculture, and man aging Malaysia's trade surplus with the US, which currently stands at US$25 billion. Tengku Zafrul noted, "On tariffs, we aim to reduce them -- not necessarily to zero, but to a level that benefits both sides -- while for non-tariff barriers, we are identifying fair areas to consider for easing. As for the trade imbalance, we have already reduced it by almost half over the last four years, from over US$40 billion to US$25 billion." This development follows the US's recent announcement of higher tariffs on imports from approximately 60 countries, including Malaysia, at a rate of 24 per cent. In response, the US has granted a 90-day pause on these 'reciprocal' tariffs to facilitate trade negotiations. On April 24, Tengku Zafrul led a delegation to Washington to meet with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to discuss the tariffs. The outcome of the initial round of US-Malaysia trade talks is set to be further deliberated at the National Geoeconomic Command Centre meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister. Tengku Zafrul also mentioned that both countries have agreed to extend discussions on economic security, focusing on technology and intellectual property protection. "They (US) are very worried that the technology that is being developed here or being manufactured here may fall into hands that are not palatable to the US. So, again, we need to look at (how to carry out) enforcement," he explained. Additionally, the tariff action against certain Malaysian and Chinese solar panel exporters applies only to non-compliant companies. While some companies' defenses were not accepted, Tengku Zafrul suggested that affected firms would need to decide whether to continue exporting to the US or adjust their strategies. He confirmed that Malaysia has not requested an extension of the 90-day pause and intends to work within the given timeframe.