KUALA LUMPUR, 10 September 2025 — The Dewan Negara has passed the Countervailing and Anti-Dumping Duties (Amendment) Bill 2025, a key piece of legislation aimed at strengthening safeguards for Malaysian industries against unfair trade practices such as dumping and subsidised imports.
The bill, tabled for its second and third readings by Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Liew Chin Tong, seeks to modernise Malaysia’s trade defence framework to better respond to distortions in the global market. It specifically targets scenarios where foreign producers offload conventional products in Malaysia at prices below those in their home markets, as well as cases where imports are heavily subsidised, undermining domestic manufacturers.
Liew told the chamber that although Malaysia already has existing laws in place, previous provisions were insufficient to deal with the growing scale and complexity of unfair trade practices. “Although we have laws before, they are not enough,” he said, stressing that the amendments will enable timely and thorough investigations and allow the government to impose countervailing or anti-dumping duties when warranted.
During the debate, which involved contributions from five senators, Liew also unveiled the Trade Remedy Investigation Management (Trima) system, a digital platform designed to make it easier for local manufacturers—especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs)—to lodge petitions and submit supporting evidence online. He underlined that no financial cost is imposed on SMEs to initiate such investigations, as long as they complete the necessary digital questionnaire through the system.
“This is being implemented for the survival of the local industry,” Liew said, noting that the government is also providing technical advisory and guidance services to help SMEs, including downstream players, understand anti-dumping and countervailing measures more effectively.
Liew further explained that the scope of support is not limited to iron and steel producers, but extends to all sectors vulnerable to unfair competition. On the rising concern of dumping through e-commerce platforms, he said enforcement is being addressed via taxation measures and coordinated efforts with multiple agencies, including the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry, and the Finance Ministry.
The passage of the amendment signals Malaysia’s determination to align with international trade standards while protecting its domestic economy from being destabilised by low-cost foreign competition. For investors and industry players, the law provides a stronger policy framework to ensure a fairer competitive environment for local producers, while reinforcing the government’s commitment to sustainable industrial growth.
