FMM Engages EU Chief Negotiator on Industry Priorities for MEUFTA

FMM, led by President Mr Jacob Lee Chor Kok, together with Deputy President Dato' Andrew Goh Boon Kim, Vice President Datuk Norani Soltan and Chairman of the FMM Selangor-KL Branch Dr Helena Eian Yeut Lan, met with Mr Hiddo Houben, EU Chief Negotiator for the Malaysia-EU Free Trade Agreement (MEUFTA), and His Excellency Mr Rafael Daerr, Ambassador of the European Union to Malaysia, on June 4, 2026 to discuss industry priorities for the ongoing negotiations.

FMM reaffirmed its strong support for the timely conclusion of MEUFTA, highlighting the importance of ensuring that Malaysian manufacturers are able to compete on an equal footing with regional peers that already benefit from preferential access to the EU market. Key priorities raised included comprehensive tariff elimination, practical and commercially meaningful rules of origin, reduction of non-tariff barriers, sustainability cooperation, digital trade facilitation and dedicated support for SMEs.

Particular emphasis was placed on the need for diagonal cumulation arrangements involving ASEAN economies that already have FTAs with the EU, including Singapore and Vietnam, to better reflect regional supply chains and maximise utilisation of the agreement. FMM also highlighted the importance of addressing regulatory and compliance challenges relating to conformity assessment, REACH, EUDR and CBAM through greater cooperation, technical assistance and recognition of Malaysia's existing sustainability frameworks.

The meeting provided a valuable platform for industry to share its perspectives directly with the EU negotiating team and underscored the shared interest in achieving a balanced, forward-looking and commercially meaningful agreement that strengthens trade, investment and economic cooperation between Malaysia and the European Union.