Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation

FRIDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 2020, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) partners with United Nations (UN) to organise a talk titled “The United Nations Global Marketplace” as an initiative to expose Malaysian exporters to export opportunities around the world by becoming UN’s vendors. The talk takes place today at Menara MATRADE.

The event marks the second partnership with the UN through UN Procurement Division (UNPD) since 2016. At the event, UNPD experts, Rury Molina and Mika Kitagami explain areas of opportunities for Malaysian companies in the UN’s global supply chain. Based on the first talk held in 2016, MATRADE saw an impressive increased in the numbers of Malaysian companies registered as vendors with the UN - from 287 companies in 2016 to 520 companies in 2018. Realising this impact, MATRADE continued to organise the second edition.

According to data, UN’s procurement from Malaysia have increased from USD21.48 million in 2016 to USD55.53 million in 2018. According to MATRADE’s Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Wan Latiff Wan Musa, partnership with the UN is crucial as it can be one of the ways to enhance market access for Malaysian companies offering sustainable products and services. “There are strict requirements for companies to be part of the UN’s list of suppliers. We know that companies that are supplying to the UN are those offering good quality and reliable products that meet the sustainability standards. In addition, these are Malaysian companies that are internationally certified,” said Wan Latiff.

For Malaysia, major products purchased by the UN are Food & Beverage Products (valued at USD25.30 million), Management & Administrative Services (USD10.30 million) Pharmaceuticals, Contraceptive & Vaccines (USD7.90 million)], Transport, Storage & Mail Services (USD1.60 million) and Medical Equipment (USD1.10 million).

The talk is also in line with MATRADE’s Sustainability Action Values for Exporters (SAVE) campaign that was introduced in October 2019. “SAVE calls on the need for Malaysian exporters to prioritise and adopt sustainability values based on UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, in their export activities. This can be a strategic advantage for Malaysian exporters to remain relevant in the highly competitive global marketplace,” Wan Latiff shared.