Malaysia clarifies Trump trade deal: no exclusive rare earth rights for US

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by The StarFebruary 5, 2026 at 09:43 AM

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Malaysia's Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, Arthur Joseph Kurup, clarified that the recent reciprocal trade agreement with the United States does not grant exclusive access to Malaysia's rare earth elements (REE). Speaking to the House of Representatives, Kurup stated the agreement, signed in October during the Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur, imposes no binding supply obligations or market preferences regarding REE. He emphasized that Malaysia retains full control over its strategic mineral exports and is not restricted to any single nation. Kurup refuted speculation that REE was offered as a concession in trade negotiations with the US. The clarification addresses concerns following the signing of the trade pact and a parallel critical minerals agreement.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

House of Representatives 50% Donald Trump 60% Asean Summit 60% Arthur Joseph Kurup ×390% Malaysia ×4100% United States ×3100%

Keywords

rare earth elements 100% trade agreement 90% malaysia 80% united states 80% exclusive rights 70% critical minerals 60% trade negotiations 50% asean summit 50% mineral exports 40%

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Neutral

Score: 0.10

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South China Morning Post

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Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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rare earth elements trade agreement malaysia united states exclusive rights critical minerals trade negotiations asean summit mineral exports

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