Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation

FRIDAY, 1 NOVEMBER 2019, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s trade promotion organisation, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is going on full force to boost the awareness on halal in Japan and create business connections for Malaysian companies with buyers and partners in Japan. The efforts are made possible through MATRADE’s signature trade promotion programme - Export Acceleration Mission (EAM) on Halal products and services to Japan – to be held from 4 – 8 November 2019.

The EAM is part of Ministry of International Trade & Industry’s ‘Digital Trade Halal Value Chain for Tokyo Olympics 2020’ initiative, which was launched in August. The initiative leverages the prospects from the high demand for products and services to serve approximately 8 million Muslim visitors out of total 40 million tourists expected to visit Japan in 2020 – due to Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics 2020 which are set to take place from 24 July – 9 August 2020. The initiative will bring Malaysia closer to become a Global Halal Economy Enabler for Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Twenty one Malaysian companies from sectors such as food, beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceutical manufacturers as well as companies providing syariah-compliant logistics and e-Commerce services are participating in the EAM. The companies selected are those who meet the high standards and requirements set for the Japanese market.

According to Niqman Rafaee Mohd Sahar, Trade Commissioner of MATRADE in Tokyo, “This specialised mission will further strengthen Malaysian companies’ footprint in Japan. At the moment, there is a need to increase the awareness on Halal among the Japanese business community. This needs to be addressed first should we want to secure export deals and MATRADE has the market intelligence to address areas of opportunities in Japan,” said Niqman.

“MATRADE has been promoting Malaysian exports to Japan since the opening of its two offices in Tokyo and Osaka in the 1990’s. Over the years, these offices have extended their facilitations in terms of matching local exporters with Japanese buyers. Through this engagement, we have developed a strong business database – a high-value asset that Malaysian companies should capitalised on,” he added.

In conjunction with the EAM, a number of programmes have been lined up such as Business to Business meetings (B2B), industry visits, sales pitching, networking session, media trends briefing and seminar. The speakers from MATRADE, Malaysia Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and Halal Development Corporation (HDC) will be sharing insights on halal business opportunities to Japanese importers, distributors, hotel and restaurant operators.

To date, among the Malaysian companies that have accessed Japan’s market are Golden Fresh Sdn Bhd (supplying frozen seafood products), Bangi Golf Resort (supplying ready-to-eat packaged halal food to restaurants and hotels in Tokyo) and Hernan Corporation (supplying mochi durian), Brahim’s Food Japan Co. (retort pouch food maker), Bunga Raya (a restaurant offering authentic Malaysian cuisine) and Manhattan Fish Market (a Halal restaurant chain). Currently, MATRADE is assisting these exporters to promote their products and services to targeted buyers in Japan.

Moving forward, MATRADE will continue to assist Malaysian companies to further promote their Halal products and services by facilitating the success of their participation in renowned trade shows around the world such as MATRADE’s Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS), FOODEX in Japan Gulfood in Dubai and Anuga in Germany.

In 2018, Malaysia’s export of halal products was valued at RM40 billion. The food and beverage industry made up the largest export value - at RM20 billion, followed by Halal ingredients (RM14.5 billion), cosmetics and personal care products (RM3 billion) and palm oil derivatives (RM1.8 billion).

 
In the case of Japan, the country was Malaysia’s third largest export destination after Singapore and China, with exports value of RM2.5 billion. Our main exports of Halal products to Japan were food ingredients (RM1.3 billion), food & beverage (RM1.0 billion), cosmetics and personal care (RM106 million), palm oil derivatives (RM70 million), industrial chemicals (RM29 million) and pharmaceuticals (RM9 million).

Malaysian companies keen to export are urged to contact MATRADE’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur or any of its 46 international trade offices around the world for assistance. For more details email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or reach out to MATRADE’s social media channels such as Facebook or Twitter.