Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation

THURSDAY, 13 DECEMBER 2019, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) plans to engage with 15,000 Malaysian companies in 2020 through its Exporters Development (ED) and Export Promotion (EP) programmes, curated with the aim of building local companies resilience globally.

In supporting this agenda, MATRADE has outlined 387 programmes next year, of which 315 are ED and 72 are EP. The programmes are focused on creating more export champions in high-value sectors, utilisation of digital platforms, inclusiveness, tapping on current market trends and forging strategic collaborations.

The ED programmes are specifically designed to equip Malaysian companies with the necessary knowledge and skills beneficial in developing their strategic advantage with particular focus on promoting the values of sustainability as stipulated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by United Nations.

According to MATRADE’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Puan Sharimahton Mat Saleh, who was representing MATRADE’s Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Wan Latiff Wan Musa at the work programme media announcement, MATRADE will give more focus on promoting Malaysian companies involved in sustainability as part of its effort to make Malaysia a source for sustainable products and services.

“The global marketplaces are demanding for more options in sustainable products or services. There is a growing trend among global retailers, distributers and sellers in sourcing products or services that emphasise on the well-being of the environment and society,” Sharimahton explained.

As the National trade promotion agency, MATRADE will empower Malaysian companies with the right knowledge and market intelligence to ensure they remain competitive against the backdrop of a very challenging global economy.

“Year 2020 will see MATRADE doubling its efforts to create more business opportunities for Malaysian companies particularly Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Mid-Tier Companies (MTCs). This will be done through strategic engagements with the Public and Private sector in Malaysia and abroad to identify new export opportunities in both conventional and emerging sectors,” Sharimahton said.

MATRADE is set to continue to add value to its signature ED programmes namely eTRADE; Bumiputera, Women and Youth Exporters Development Programme (BWYEDP); Mid-Tier Companies Development Programme (MTCDP); Mid-Tier Ramp Up Programme and Large Corporation & SME Partnership Programme. Complementing these are various trainings and seminars, as well as the MATRADE’s signature conferences namely National Export Day (NED) and the second edition of Sustainability-Ready Exporters (Su-RE) Conference. The ED programmes will take place all over Malaysia including Sabah and Sarawak.

For EP, the programmes will include participation in international trade fairs, trade missions (Export Acceleration Mission and Trade & Investment Mission) as well as the country’s renowned business matching programme, also the brainchild of MATRADE, called International Sourcing Programme (INSP).

Out of all the EP programmes, 58 per cent or will be held in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies such as China, the United States, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, Mexico, Russia and Brunei, among others. This is very much in line with Malaysia’s role in hosting APEC 2020.

According to Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI), YB Datuk Darell Leiking, it is imperative for Malaysia to take the advantage of its one-year chairmanship of APEC with Malaysia being the host nation for APEC next year.

“Given the uncertainty in the global economy mainly from the ongoing US-China trade war, MATRADE has charted its programmes next year in line with APEC 2020 three priority areas namely regional economic integration, inclusivity & technology and sustainability. This is to ensure that Malaysian companies especially exporters get full benefits of APEC through all its member economies,” said Darell.
MATRADE’s EP programmes next year will be focused on Malaysia’s key export sectors such as Services, Building Materials, Aerospace & Maritime, Food & Beverages, Oil & Gas, Lifestyle, Medical & Pharmaceutical, among others.

In addition, MATRADE will also be organising its iconic trade events the 17th edition of Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) from 1 – 4 April 2020 and Kuala Lumpur International Aerospace Business Conference (KLIABC) from 23 – 25 June 2020. These events are set to promote Malaysia as the world’s top sourcing platforms for Halal products and services as well as a regional hub for aerospace industry respectively.
“Our engagements with companies will also be focusing on driving Malaysian SMEs and MTCs to be more prepared in areas such as Sustainability, Digital Transformation, Internet of Things (IoT), Industrial Revolution 4.0 and Artificial Intelligence (AI). All of these play significant roles in ensuring the companies’ success in international businesses,” Sharimahton shared.

MATRADE will continue to be working closely with other relevant Ministries, agencies, trade associations, chambers of commerce and private sectors to ensure the success of Malaysian companies internationally. Malaysian companies keen to take part in MATRADE’s programmes may contact MATRADE via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., MATRADE’s social media channels or visit www.matrade.gov.my for more details.

TUESDAY, 10 DECEMBER, 2019, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) pays homage to five Malaysian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) who have made significant success in accessing world markets through digital platforms by using the eTRADE Programme facilitation. The recognition is given through MATRADE’s inaugural eTRADE Exporters Awards (eTEA) 2019.

The eTEA ceremony took place today in conjunction with the eCommerce Day 2019 at Menara MITI in Kuala Lumpur. The eCommerce Day 2019 was jointly organised by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) and the Ministry of Communication and Multimedia (KKMM).

The eTEA 2019 categories are Women Award, Youth Award, Bumiputera Award and Cooperative Award while the main category is the Top Exporter Award. The winners of the eTEA 2019 are Wintech Metal Procession Sdn Bhd (Top Exporter), Worldwide Tractors Sdn Bhd (Women), AXG Industries Sdn Bhd (Youth), Tropical Bioessence Sdn Bhd (Bumiputera) and Koperasi Usahawan Groom BIG Perlis Berhad or KUGPIS (Cooperative).

According to MATRADE’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Exporter Development) Puan Sharimahton Mat Saleh, the eTEA aims to motivate local SMEs to expand their markets beyond just Malaysia by leveraging on digital platforms, in this case eMarketplaces. “The awards were given to local companies that have shown outstanding export performance. Their performance is based on the value of exports generated and number of markets they have accessed from their participation in the eTRADE Programme,” said Sharimahton.

“MATRADE believes the eTEA 2019 will serve as an inspiration for other Malaysian SMEs to start exporting and to venture into eCommerce to reach out to global consumers. With the eTRADE Programme, SMEs can enjoy facilitations in the form of financial support and capacity building so their success in digital export can be expedited. eCommerce helps companies save cost in accessing the world markets while at the same time allowing them to engage with the international consumers 24-7 too. I would like to urge Malaysian SMEs to learn from the success of the companies we’ve recognised today and follow in their footsteps to ensure their business remains relevant for a long time,” Sharimahton shared.

“We are also pleased to share that our eTRADE Programme will continue in 2020 and is now open for registration,” she added.

MATRADE’s eTRADE Programme was introduced in 2014 with the objective of accelerating Malaysian SMEs exports by leveraging on the power of eCommerce. eTRADE assistance is provided in the form of financial incentive (up to RM5,000) to partially cover the cost incurred in joining any of the eMarketplaces listed under the eTRADE Programme. Currently, there are 20 international and local-owned e-Commerce platforms in the eTRADE Programme such as Amazon.com, eBay.com, Alibaba.com, Minebizs.com, HalalStreet.co.uk, AVANA/Facebook and many others.

Since its inception, the eTRADE Programme has benefitted 3,337 Malaysian SMEs who have made inroads into markets such as Cambodia, Thailand, China, United States and Egypt. Among the top products SMEs in eTRADE Programme have sold online to the world include furniture, F&B, rubber products and machinery.

For more information on the eTRADE Programme, Malaysian SMEs can visit www.matrade.gov.my/en/etrade.

TUESDAY, 10 DECEMBER 2019, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) has identified a huge potential to boost Malaysia-Republic of Korea (ROK) trade collaborations in high-value and high technology-driven industries following its participation in 2019 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in Busan recently. The high-value sectors include transportation, electrical vehicle, high-speed rail and train, Halal, Chemicals and financing.

Malaysia’s participation at the Summit was led by Malaysian Prime Minister, YAB Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and was also supported by Malaysian Government bodies such as Malaysia Investment Development Authority (MIDA), Halal Development Industry Corporation (HDC), Invest Selangor and Tourism Malaysia.

In conjunction with the Summit, two Malaysian exhibitors who are also MATRADE members namely Usaha Strategik Sdn Bhd and We Build Easy Sdn Bhd have taken part in a showcase. At the showcase, the companies received many enquiries from other countries keen to source for their services. Usaha Strategik Sdn Bhd is a fully-owned Bumiputera company that is involved in sustainable and quality biomass fuel pallet research, which demand can be found in the ROK, Japan and China. Meanwhile, We Build East Sdn Bhd specialises in re-shaping the future of property ownership by providing end-to-end services, using immersive and emerging technologies to showcase properties across South-East Asia.

“This engagement was a stepping stone for us to introduce our biomass products which derived from palm oil waste, and expand our business globally. A big thank you to MATRADE and MIDA for trusting and giving us this opportunity. We hope our presence there was able to promote Malaysia in the area of sustainability too,” said Za'im Hadi Bin Meskam, Executive Director of Usaha Strategik.

“The event was an eye opener for us and an important exposure for our company to the international business community. We are very grateful to MATRADE and MIDA for the opportunity and from this participation we are able to better strategise our operations moving into 2020 and beyond,” Tan Yong Meng, Co-Founder and CEO of We Build Easy said.

According to MATRADE Trade Commissioner in ROK, Norharliza Yunos, the feedback received by the companies was overwhelming as many Koreans are aware of Malaysia’s pro-business environment and Malaysian companies capabilities to supply to the world.

“Seeing the positive response given to Malaysia, MATRADE Seoul will strengthen our engagements with the ROK’s businesses and match them with capable Malaysian companies in our database,” Norharliza said adding that in 2018, ROK was Malaysia 8th largest trading partner and is currently one of Malaysia’s key markets.

Moving forward, MATRADE will be inviting businesses in the ROK to take part in MATRADE’s iconic trade fair, Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2020 which will take place from 1 – 4 April 2020 at MITEC, Kuala Lumpur. The event, also the largest Halal trade fair in the world will be an ideal platform for South Korean businesses to be introduced to Malaysian companies in the said high-value sectors.

The ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit was organised from 25 to 26 November by the ROK Government to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Establishment of ASEAN-ROK Dialogue Relations. The event has successfully gathered all ASEAN leaders and symbolises ROK’s New Southern Policy and was the largest international meeting hosted by the ROK Government.

Malaysian companies keen to access ROK are urged to contact MATRADE Seoul via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more details on MATRADE’s facilitation for Malaysian companies visit www.matrade.gov.my.

THURSDAY, 5 DECEMBER 2019, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) has concluded a mission to explore Davao recently in an effort to strengthen Malaysian companies’ footprint in the Philippines – one of its closest ASEAN trading partners.

Davao City is a highly-urbanised city located in the Southern Philippines and serves as the gateway for the entire Mindanao island. The city also serves as the entry point for Brunei Darussalam - Indonesia - Malaysia - Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) – an initiative launched in 1994.

The mission called Export Acceleration Mission or the EAM that took place in November 2019 saw the 33 Malaysian companies that took part in the event generated over RM72 million in export value for their business. The products and services sought after included Food & Beverages, Personal Care, ICT, Logistics and Building Materials.

According to MATRADE’s Trade Commissioner in Manila, Siti Azlina Mohd Ali Hanafiah, Davao is the second largest growing economy in the Philippines in 2018 and also the 5th biggest economy in the country. This indicates a growing potential for businesses in Malaysia. “Davao offers an attractive alternative to the overcrowded Manila and Cebu. With President Duterte’s “Mindanao First” policy, more countries are exploring this region’s potential to seek investment partners. Through investments, various export opportunities for Malaysian companies can be created,” she said.

Among the opportunities available in Davao City are in sectors such as agribusiness, tourism-related facilities, infrastructure, real estate, halal and tourism. In addition, Information Technology and BPOs (business-process outsourcing) also showed some prospects.

“The Philippines is a dynamic market and remains attractive for Malaysian companies as it has a population of about 109 million people. Davao alone has a population of over 1.6 million and can serve as a strategic entry point for Malaysia,” Siti Azlina shared.

During the EAM, MATRADE has organised activities such as business meetings with Filipino buyers and importers, networking session, seminar and roundtable discussion on Doing Business in the Philippines and investment opportunities as well as briefing on product registration procedures by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Philippines.

Malaysia as a member of ASEAN is pushing for greater intra-ASEAN trade and Philippines is one of the promising markets for Malaysian exporters to tap into. With the materialisation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), an increasing number of regional integration initiatives have been carried out, which have contributed to the liberalisation and development of the ASEAN economies.

In 2018, Malaysia’s total trade with the Philippines increased by 2.1 per cent to reach RM26.04 billion from RM25.50 billion recorded in 2017. Total exports increased by 2.0 per cent to RM16.85 billion from RM16.52 billion while imports were up by 2.3 per cent to RM9.19 billion from RM8.98 billion.

Malaysia’s export to Philippines consisted largely of electrical & electronic products, palm oil & palm-based agriculture products, chemicals & chemical products, petroleum products and machinery, equipment & parts, while Malaysia’s import from Philippines consisted mainly of electrical & electronic products, machinery, equipment and parts, processed food, natural rubber and chemicals & chemical products.

MATRADE encourages Malaysian companies to leverage on MATRADE’s 46 international offices to understand the global markets and start exporting. Local companies that are keen to explore the Philippines can contact MATRADE’s Manila office by emailing to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.