Malaysia moves to resume trade talks with EU

The Malaysian government is taking steps to resume talks with the European Union on the Malaysia-European Free Trade Agreement (MEUFTA). The discussions were last held on December 23, 2021, with both sides taking note of the current issues still pending. The Cabinet decided to postpone the MEUFTA negotiations in 2019 due to a lack of understanding from both parties regarding sensitive issues such as government procurement, Bumiputera policy, intellectual property rights, geographical indications, and halal issues. Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Lim Ban Hong said the government is aware of the importance of the European Union as one of the country’s main trading partners.