Country tariff overview · MY
Malaysia Tariffs to the United States
Malaysia is one of the United States' largest sources of semiconductors, electronics, palm oil, and rubber products. There is no comprehensive US-Malaysia free trade agreement, so Malaysian-origin goods enter at WTO MFN base rates plus the IEEPA country tariff. The 2023 Commerce Department circumvention ruling on solar cells assembled in Malaysia (and three other Southeast Asian countries) from Chinese components has reshaped solar import economics and increased CBP scrutiny on origin claims.
No comprehensive US FTA
Malaysia is not a party to a comprehensive US bilateral free trade agreement. Both countries belong to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) framework, but APEC does not set preferential duty rates. Malaysian-origin goods enter the US under WTO MFN base rates plus the IEEPA country tariff layer.
Solar cell circumvention ruling
In August 2023, the Commerce Department issued a circumvention determination finding that crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules assembled in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam from Chinese inputs were circumventing the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on Chinese solar cells. The ruling extended AD/CVD coverage (with producer-specific rates) to qualifying Southeast Asian assemblers. Importers of solar products from Malaysia must verify whether their specific producer falls inside or outside the circumvention scope.
Semiconductor and electronics flows
Malaysia is the largest source of semiconductor packaging and test (OSAT) services after Taiwan. Integrated circuits assembled or finished in Malaysia from Chinese, Korean, or Taiwanese wafers raise complex country-of-origin questions. CBP applies substantial transformation analysis on a case-by-case basis; the location of final wafer dicing and packaging is generally determinative, but enforcement risk is elevated.
Palm oil, rubber, and consumer products
Malaysian palm oil products face the IEEPA country tariff plus any sustainability-related US enforcement actions (forced labor withhold release orders apply to specific Malaysian producers — verify before sourcing). Medical and exam gloves are a major Malaysian export to the US (during 2020–2022 supply surges, Malaysia supplied a majority of the global market). MFN base rates for natural rubber gloves are typically low, but the IEEPA layer still applies.
Sample HTS rates from Malaysia
Sample rates illustrate the duty layers that apply at the chapter or heading level — verify the precise 10-digit HTS code and current policy via the HTS code lookup before filing entry.
| HTS prefix | Description | Base rate | Additional layers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8541.43 | Photovoltaic cells (solar cells) | Free | AD/CVD circumvention extension applies to qualifying Malaysian assemblers — producer-specific rates |
| 8542.31 | Electronic integrated circuits (processors) | Free | IEEPA country tariff applies; OSAT-assembled chips may face origin scrutiny |
| 4015.19 | Surgical and examination gloves of rubber | Free | IEEPA country tariff applies; verify producer is not on the FLETA WRO list |
| 1511.10 | Crude palm oil | Free | IEEPA country tariff applies; sustainability and forced-labor screening required |
| 8517.13 | Smartphones | Free | IEEPA country tariff applies; final assembly origin determines treatment |
| 9405.10 | Chandeliers and other electric ceiling/wall lighting fittings | 3.9% | IEEPA country tariff stacks on base rate |
For an exact 10-digit HTS code with current rates, use the HTS code lookup. To compute total landed cost including MPF and HMF, use the landed cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
- Are Section 301 tariffs applied to Malaysian goods?
- Section 301 lists target Chinese-origin goods, not Malaysian. Goods that are genuinely Malaysian origin under the substantial transformation test are outside Section 301. However, the 2023 solar circumvention ruling extended AD/CVD coverage to Malaysian assemblers using Chinese cells — that is a separate enforcement mechanism with its own producer-specific rates.
- What is the solar circumvention ruling?
- The Commerce Department determined in August 2023 that solar cells and modules assembled in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, or Vietnam from Chinese inputs were circumventing the antidumping and countervailing orders on Chinese solar cells. The ruling lets Commerce apply AD/CVD rates to Southeast Asian producers found to be assembling rather than manufacturing.
- Does Malaysia have a free trade agreement with the US?
- No comprehensive bilateral FTA. The two countries cooperate through APEC and the IPEF (Indo-Pacific Economic Framework), but neither sets preferential tariff rates. Malaysian goods enter the US at WTO MFN base rates plus the IEEPA country tariff.
Apply this to your products
Compute the full duty stack for any product from Malaysia — and watch for rate changes.
Related in-depth guides
Background on the trade-policy mechanisms that drive duty rates from this country.