Malaysia PM writes to French president asking for reprieve on palm oil

In Malaysia, the Prime Minister has sent a letter to the President of France asking him to drop the de facto restrictions on palm oil from 2020 that will see tax breaks for fuels produced from the controversial feedstock come to an end. In the letter, the Prime Minister called the assertion that palm oil leads to deforestation as a “misguided perception”. He also said that the move not only goes against the WTO but also the spirit of European values of free trade.