Press Releases 2015
Malaysia’s F&B Products Continue to Expand into the Australian Market
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian food & beverages (F&B) sector continues to target the high-value Australian market and this is reflected from the participation of 18 Malaysian exhibitors in FINE FOOD Australia 2015. The participation in the event, which takes place from 20 to 23 September 2015 at Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney Showground in Australia is spearheaded by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) for the 10th times.
Congregating under the Malaysian Pavilion, the participants comprised major players as well as SMEs in the Malaysian F&B industry promoting frozen food, ready-to-eat meals, durian and coconut based products, palm oil products, confectioneries, sauces and paste, health supplements and food ingredients. More than 95 business meetings have been arranged by MATRADE for the Malaysian companies during the 4-day event with over 80 potential business partners.
According to Noor Hayati Abu Noh, Malaysian Trade Commissioner in Melbourne, MATRADE is leveraging on the event to highlight the strength of the Malaysian F&B sector especially on innovative products that meet Australia’s food industry trends and standards. “Malaysian companies attending the event can also leverage on the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement (MAFTA) which was implemented in 2013 and provides preferential tariff for all Malaysian products entering Australia,” she said.
This year’s edition in Sydney will position Malaysia as a sourcing destination among Australian manufacturers, importers and distributors to create more trading opportunities for both countries.
In 2014, Malaysia exported RM1.18 billion worth of processed food to Australia. For the period of January – July 2015, exports were valued at RM700.5 million. Major products exported included food ingredients and preparations, cocoa and cocoa preparations as well as processed seafood.
FINE FOOD Australia offers the best platform for all sectors of the F&B industry to both showcase and source the products for Australia market and neighbouring Oceania region including Papua New Guinea, New Zealand Fiji and Tonga.
Malaysian Capabilities in Construction Industry Take Center Stage at ICW 2015
TUESDAY, September 22, 2015, Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), in collaboration with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia, had successfully organised a business matching session for 48 Malaysian companies in conjunction with the International Construction Week (ICW) held recently at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), Kuala Lumpur. The business meeting session is part of MATRADE’s key trade promotion activities under the Incoming Buying Mission (IBM) programme.
A total of 24 business representatives from Cambodia, Kenya, Pakistan, Vietnam, Japan, Myanmar, Trinidad & Tobago and USA participated in the session. The types of services and products sourced by these foreign buyers include road construction expertise, engineering consultancy services, architectural design services, road marking equipment and construction material. Other products and services sourced were unified flexi clays, doors and door skins, wall panels, water proofing cements, water heaters, metal roof and structural products, decorative wall papers, adhesive and sealant, water proofing, wire mesh, chain links and office furniture as well as LED Lights for roads and highways.
Following the 131 business meetings arranged by MATRADE, projects and supply of services & products are valued at RM3.47 billion and are currently being ironed out by Malaysian companies.
ICW is the largest and the most important annual event for construction covering the full spectrum of construction industry across Malaysia and South East Asia. The event brings together construction industry players under one roof to showcase, learn, build partnerships and share innovative ideas. Apart from Malaysia’s key industry players showcasing the products and services include the UK, China, Taiwan, Japan, Australia and Singapore.
This year was MATRADE’s second year organising the business matching session in conjunction of ICW 2015. In IBM-ICW 2014 participation, MATRADE had hosted 15 foreign buyers to the event from Japan, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, India and Hong Kong. Amongst the services sourced included consultancy and project management, planning for commercial and housing development as well as road construction.
MATRADE as the Malaysia’s Trade Promotion Organisation (TPO) continues to build awareness of Malaysia’s capabilities in the construction industry through many activities such as the IBM, Specialised Marketing Mission (SMM) and Joint Trade Promotion activities, among many others. Throughout 2015, a total of 116 trade promotion activities are being carried out in 46 countries in many high value sectors namely construction, oil & gas, electrical & electronics, aerospace, medical devices and health services, just to name a few.
Trade Regulation: Kenya Imposes New Import Requirement To Exporters
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) in a statement advise all Malaysian exporters to adhere to the recent import regulation known as Import Standardisation Mark Stick (ISM) imposed by the Kenya Bureau of Standard (KEBS).
The ISM sticker took effect on 1st August 2015 and is a sign or mark of quality affixed to all finished imported products to demonstrate their conformity to Kenya’s approved standards. The new measure is aimed at safeguarding Kenyans from unscrupulous dealers who have been faking the current KEBS Mark of Diamond quality once their goods have been inspected.
The new mark of quality will also provide an online platform for consumers to directly authenticate the certification of goods before purchase.
There is a rollover period of five months and permission to continue using the existing mark after this period shall be granted on case by case basis, depending on situations, but it is expected that all parties should comply fully by 30th June 2016 after which no more case will be considered.
According to MATRADE’s Trade Commissioner in South Africa who also looks after the Kenyan market, Mohamed Hafiz Md Shariff, “Malaysian exporters should accustom themselves with this regulation especially with regard to the Certificate of Conformity (CoC) normally issued by inspection agency in the country of origin as this is a basic requirement for application of ISM. This will facilitate a faster and smoother operation of clearance for goods and avoid demurrage cost”.
He further said, “Malaysian exporters should liaise with their importers in order not to violate this new requirement. Failing which might result in the goods imported be reshipped back to the exporters at their own expenses”.
To apply for the ISM, importers and clearing agents are required to submit copies of Certificate of Conformity, Import Declaration Form and Customs Entry Form to the bureau. From Jan to July 2015, Malaysia’s exports to Kenya were valued at RM1.1 billion, mainly in petroleum products, crude & refined palm oil products.
Myanmar’s Rising ICT Sector Promises Export Opportunities For Malaysian Companies
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Fiffteen Malaysian Information and Communications Technology (ICT) companies positioned themselves early in leveraging on the many green field opportunities in Myanmar’s ICT sector through MATRADE’s recently concluded Specialised Marketing Mission (SMM) held in Yangon from 8-11 September 2015. This initiative registered a promising RM73.08 million worth of negotiated sales and partnership value.
Malaysian ICT companies offering software solutions and services in banking and financial sectors, business services, systems integration, tourism & hospitality, retail and education sector were the most sought after services by the Myanmar clients. The SMM, primarily aimed at increasing exports of Malaysian ICT services, provided a platform for Malaysian ICT companies to find partners, distributors and resellers to establish close business relations in Myanmar. The event saw MATRADE providing business matchmaking, networking and outreach activities to further promote Malaysian capabilities and expertise in this market.
Myanmar’s ICT industry has demonstrated high growth in recent years due to the liberalisation of its telecommunications sector which resulted in issuance of Internet Service Provider (ISP) licenses to foreign entities. Since the liberalisation, more efficient network infrastructures and huge drop in the cost of mobile connectivity has led to exponential business opportunities in ICT services. Market forecasts indicate that the country’s internet penetration rate could rise up to 60% by 2016, currently at 10% of its 56 million populations.
ICT is at the forefront of Myanmar’s economic transformation. According to MATRADE’s Director of ICT Trade and Services Promotion Division, Sharimahton Mat Saleh, “Since MATRADE’s first ICT mission here in 2013, we have observed a huge growth in Myanmar’s ICT sector. Coupled with the excellent ICT solutions developed by Malaysian companies and the benefits of the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS), Malaysian ICT companies are in an ideal position to profit from the growing demand in Myanmar”.
Partnership opportunities in Myanmar are abundant and the long term commitment to foster close business relationship with the right partner in Myanmar is likely. Malaysian companies are advised to visit the market and engage with MATRADE’s trade office in Myanmar to obtain information on this emerging yet competitive market.
London Honours Malaysian Art Works At Saatchi Gallery
FRIDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: In an effort to promote Malaysian art works globally, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is collaborating with Galeri Chandan to showcase local paintings at the 2nd START Art Fair 2015 (START 2015) in the prestigious London’s Saatchi Gallery . The exhibition started on 10 September and will end on 13 September 2015.
The event pays homage to seven Malaysian artists — Awang Damit, Chong Siew Ying, Haris Abadi, Kow Leong Kiang, Phuan Thai Meng, Umibaizurah Ismail and Zulkifli Yusoff. These home-grown artists who have already established firm footings in their careers locally will be featuring artworks themed as ‘A Door Ajar’, that are inspired by the many facets of culture in Malaysia.
The show will also offer an overview of Malaysia’s vibrant art scene and most importantly it will be attracting art collectors, curators, art aficionados and critics from the United Kingdom and from other parts of Europe too. London was selected as the venue for the event due to the city being the centre of art in Europe. Plus, in 2014 United Kingdom was ranked third for the sales of art globally after United States and China.
Total exports of Malaysia’s visual arts including paintings, drawings and pastels in 2014 were recorded at RM11.45 million. Malaysia’s art industry is on the rise, with increasing level of interest and growing art awareness among the young and professional group of collectors. With Malaysia’s diverse culture and multi-ethnic society, local artists can offer something unique to spark the interest and demands from overseas.
START 2015 will also play host to 47 galleries from 25 cities (such as Hong Kong, Seoul, Hanoi, Cape Town, Los Angeles, Jeddah, Rome, Istanbul, Tehran, Cologne, Munich, Budapest and Bangalore). Such ‘gathering’ creates a common ground for the global art community to highlight each other’s arts scene and its diversity. Apart from spotlighting emerging new artists from Malaysia and around the world, START 2015 will feature specially-curated exhibitions focusing on the dynamic art scenes of Asia.
The showcase will complement MATRADE’s previous programmes to promote Malaysian visual arts such as the Art KL held in Miami and Melbourne that were introduced in 2013. These art showcases are part of MATRADE’s efforts to push Malaysia’s soft exports and since 2013, a total of 277 artworks from 126 local artists have already been featured in foreign markets.
Following START 2015 in London, MATRADE will be promoting Malaysia’s artworks at the Art KL- Melbourne 2015, which is set to take place later this year.
