Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he will appeal for lower tariffs when he meets US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday, after President Donald Trump threatened to impose a steeper rate on the Southeast Asian nation.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is visiting Malaysia to attend several diplomatic meetings with senior Malaysian government officials. It is his first diplomatic visit to Asia as a member of the Trump administration.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio departed for Malaysia on Tuesday for meetings with ASEAN allies, a trip that has been overshadowed by fears of a trade war. The brief trip to Kuala Lumpur is intended to allow Rubio,