KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has collected an estimated RM500 million in anti-dumping duties between 2016 and June 2024 to mitigate the effects of unfair imports.
Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Liew Chin Tong said the significant figure highlights the substantial impact of unfair trade practices on the domestic industries and reinforces the critical need for strong trade defense mechanisms.
So far this year, Liew said the ministry had received 12 applications for anti-dumping investigations from key industries like iron and steel, building materials, chemicals, and plastics. This is in comparison to three applications in 2023.
"This is a clear indicator of the challenges our domestic producers face due to dumped imports," he said at the launch of the ministry's Trade Remedies Investigation Management System (Trima) here today.
Trima is a digital platform designed to streamline trade remedy investigations and safeguard domestic industries from unfair trade practices.
Liew said supports the government's commitment to public sector digitalisation, as outlined in the Public Sector Strategic Digitalisation Plan 2021–2025 and the MyDigital Blueprint.
As the sole authority, the ministry uses various acts, including the Countervailing and Anti-dumping Duties Act, to protect local industries from unfair practices such as dumping, which can harm market shares and jobs, he added.
"The manufacturing sector, which contributed RM366.7 billion to gross domestic product (GDP) and employed over 2.8 million people in 2023, is particularly vulnerable to these practices.
"It is imperative that we protect and ensure our local industry will not be wiped out by the unfair competition from imported products," he added.
With rising global trade tensions, Liew said anti-dumping cases worldwide have surged, leading Malaysia to impose 68 anti-dumping measures from 2016 till 2024.
"This makes Trima essential. The system will streamline and enhance the process for submitting anti-dumping and countervailing applications, offering a more efficient and accessible platform."
Trima allows for online submissions, reducing costs, improving accessibility, ensuring data security, and supporting sustainability by minimising paper use and travel needs.
Even though Malaysia is already known for swift investigations, Liew said Trima will further enhance this, potentially reducing the statutory nine-month investigation period.
The ministry plans to incorporate AI and big data analytics into Trima to predict threats, allowing proactive protection of domestic industries.
"In addition to this, the ministry is currently undertaking a review on the Countervailing and Anti-Dumping Duties Act 1993 and the Countervailing and Anti-Dumping Duties Regulations 1994," Liew said.