Malaysia Trade Mission Shows Strong Momentum for U.S. Dairy Exports
U.S. dairy exports to Malaysia are gaining significant momentum following a recent trade mission led by Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindbergh. We recently caught up with Lindbergh, who shared insights into the discussions and progress surrounding dairy market access, particularly in light of President Trump’s new trade agreement with Malaysia.
According to Lindbergh, the outlook for dairy exports is especially promising. “Yeah, the dairy story is very robust with respect to Malaysia right now. It’s an exciting time.” Recent trade data supports that optimism, with U.S. dairy products seeing strong growth in the Malaysian market.
One standout category is cheese. “Our cheese exports are actually up 245 percent over the last year, 23 percent on dairy specifically overall.” That sharp increase highlights growing consumer demand for U.S. dairy products and signals expanding opportunities for American dairy farmers and processors.
Historically, one of the biggest challenges in the U.S.–Malaysia dairy trade relationship has involved Halal certification requirements. “Some of the clunkiness in the past of our relationship with Malaysia has dealt around halal certifications,” Lindbergh explained. As a predominantly Muslim-majority country, Malaysia requires imported food products to meet Halal standards, which has at times slowed or limited access for U.S. exporters.
That hurdle is now being addressed directly through the new trade agreement. “The President’s agreement specifically outlines that Malaysia is going to smooth out that process for halal certified products.” By streamlining certification procedures, the agreement reduces friction for U.S. dairy exporters and improves consistency and predictability in market access.
Lindbergh emphasized that these changes are already translating into confidence and forward-looking investment across the dairy sector. “We’re very optimistic. We see a very bright future and already great momentum for dairy in Malaysia.” With tariffs lowered and regulatory barriers reduced, U.S. dairy producers are better positioned to compete on a level playing field.
As demand continues to rise for products like cheese and other value-added dairy items, Malaysia is emerging as a key growth market in Southeast Asia. The progress made during the trade mission reflects a broader strategy to expand U.S. agricultural exports while opening new doors for American farmers and agribusinesses.
Overall, Lindbergh’s remarks underscore that dairy exports are becoming a major success story within the U.S.–Malaysia trade relationship, with strong growth, improved access, and long-term potential firmly in place.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.