Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation

Tuesday, March 5th, 2016, Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) in a statement urged Malaysian companies to participate in the International Sourcing Programme (INSP) to be held in conjunction with Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2016 this 29 March 2016. The INSP will be attended by 450 buyers from 39 countries.

The INSP will see the involvement of buyers from countries such as the United States, France, Japan, China, Russia, Korea, Turkey and South Africa, just to name a few. The participation of these non-majority Muslim markets indicates a growing interest among the world’s players for Halal products and services.

“Malaysian companies should join this business matching programme as we are bringing in high-potential buyers from various continents. By meeting the buyers here in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian companies get to cost-effectively expand their global business. There is no cost for them to participate in the INSP they should capitalise on such a platform,” said MATRADE’s chief executive officer Dato’ Dzulkifli Mahmud.

In the current economic landscape, the INSP is considered one of the best platforms for Malaysian companies in the Halal sector to meet global buyers as there is no need for them to bear a hefty traveling cost. MATRADE encourages companies offering Halal products and services to leverage on the one-on-one pre-arranged business meetings scheduled for them once they registered in the INSP. Companies that are keen to participate, can register in the event by emailing to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 03-6207 7489 / 7490.

Set to take place at Menara MATRADE, the INSP is free for export-ready Malaysian companies providing food and non-food Halal products as well as Shariah compliance services. Among popular Halal products sourced by foreign buyers during the INSP include ready-to-eat meals, food ingredients, beverages, pharmaceuticals, personal care, confectionaries and services such as Islamic finance.

MIHAS 2016 is returning for the 13th year this 30 March till 2 April 2016, promising yet another memorable and impactful event. MIHAS 2016, organised by MATRADE, will feature two main components - a trade fair and an International Sourcing Programme (INSP).

The annual event which will take place at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) offers a trade fair showcasing participation of companies supplying various products and services such as Halal consumables, Non-food products & services, food packaging, machinery & catering equipment, Islamic investment, banking and Takaful. A total of 640 booths will be set up and over 25,000 visitors are expected to attend the event.

A total of 26 countries from the ASEAN region, Middle East, South Asia and Europe will be participating in this world’s largest Halal trade event. “Malaysia has earned an international recognition as one of the pioneers in the global Halal marketplace. The Halal ecosystem is well developed in Malaysia, and this is a strong catalyst for the huge growth in the industry,” said Dato’ Dzulkifli Mahmud.

Last year, the business matching programme had successfully generated RM443.2 million of sales while the sales from the trade fair were RM655.8 million, bringing the total sales of MIHAS 2015 to RM1.1 billion. With an interplay of various external factors in the global economies, these figures are expected to increase by 2 per cent this year.

MIHAS 2016, organised by MATRADE, is part of the World Halal Week (WHW), a brainchild of Ministry of International Trade & Industry. Besides MIHAS 2016, other components of the WHW are World Halal Conference 2016 organised by Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) and Halal Certification Bodies Convention organised by Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM). The WHW 2016 brings together industry players and Halal experts from all over the world. It also embodies Malaysia’s aspiration to be the main driver in creating a dynamic ecosystem for the Halal industry for the world players to draw inspirations from.