Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation

MEEC DI MATRADE: LOKASI IDEAL UNTUK PROMOSI PRODUK & PERKHIDMATAN MALAYSIA

KHAMIS, 30 DISEMBER, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Perbadanan Pembangunan Perdagangan Luar Malaysia (MATRADE) sebagai agensi promosi eksport negara menggalakkan syarikat-syarikat tempatan untuk menjadikan Pusat Pameran Eksport Malaysia atau MEEC di Menara MATRADE sebagai lokasi untuk mempamerkan produk mereka kepada pembeli global serta pusat padanan perniagaan dengan pengimport luar negara.

MEEC adalah satu-satunya pusat pameran ekslusif yang direka di Malaysia bagi pengeksport tempatan. Pusat pameran ini yang diselenggarakan MATRADE, mempunyai keluasan 4,500 meter persegi dan mempamerkan pelbagai produk lebih dari 500 syarikat. Ia meliputi 30 sub-sektor seperti produk logam & mesin, elektrik & elektronik, automotif & bahagian auto, makanan & minuman, teknologi hijau, produk getah, bahan binaan, plastik & pembungkusan, produk konsumer bergerak pantas (FCMG) termasuk produk gaya hidup dan sektor perkhidmatan.

Selain menyediakan ruang pameran, MEEC juga adalah pusat bagi penyumberan produk dan perkhidmatan Buatan Malaysia oleh pengimport dari luar negara. Aktiviti padanan perniagaan bersama pembeli antarabangsa ini dijalankan melalui International Sourcing Programme atau INSP. Setakat bulan Oktober 2015, sebanyak RM165.17 juta hasil jualan telah berjaya dijana melalui inisiatif INSP.

Pusat pameran yang berfokus kepada eksport ini menerima kunjungan daripada pembeli asing dan delegasi perdagangan dari dalam dan luar negara. Sehingga bulan Disember 2015, MEEC telah menerima kunjungan lebih daripada 6,200 orang dari pelbagai syarikat dan organisasi asing serta individu terkenal antaranya Barclays Bank dari Uganda, delegasi perniagaan dari Al-Westa, Oman, kumpulan runcit terkemuka di Eropah seperti Home Retail Group (United Kingdom) dan Metro Group (Germany) serta pakar pemasaran tersohor dunia Philip Kotler.

Philip Kotler yang ditemui semasa lawatan beliau berkata, “Pusat pameran ini adalah antara yang terbaik di dunia pernah saya lawati.”

Terletak di Tingkat 2, Menara MATRADE di Kuala Lumpur, MEEC melengkapkan fasiliti-fasiliti fizikal MATRADE yang lain seperti Pusat Informasi Perniagaan (BIC) dan Pusat Integrasi Eksport (ICE).

MATRADE COLLABORATES WITH AEON TO PUSH MALAYSIA’S EXPORTS OF HALAL PRODUCTS & SERVICES INTO JAPAN

MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: In a bid to strengthen Malaysia’s Halal products and services footprint in Japan, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) in collaboration with AEON Co. (M) Bhd organised a briefing on export opportunities in Japan for Malaysian companies. The briefing was held in Menara MATRADE on 21 December 2015.

The programme was part of MATRADE’s efforts to encourage Malaysian companies to tap into the emerging Halal industry in Japan and to leverage on the demand expected for Halal products and services during the Tokyo Olympic 2020. At the session, attendees were briefed on the strategy to access Japan’s market through AEON and were also given an understanding of the requirements and procedures to supply their products to AEON’s supermarkets in Japan.

AEON is one of the major retailers in Japan with businesses covering general merchandise store, convenience store, specialty store and also real estate for retail with more than 5,000 outlets in Japan. Its operating revenue was reported to be RM239 billion (USD70.78 billion) in 2014. The brand is currently available in over 13 countries including China (Mainland and HK), Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.

The Tokyo Olympic 2020, which will take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020 in Japan, offers an abundance of opportunities for Malaysian companies to access the market in Japan. In preparation for the world’s sporting event, there have been continuous efforts by Japanese companies to ensure there are sufficient halal products for the sporting communities, tourist and Muslim populations in Japan.

Their focused is on the Malaysian Halal brands given that Malaysia is one of the world’s top Halal products and services providers.

As one of the largest importers in the world, with an estimated shipment value of around USD225 billion in the food service sector where 60 percent of its total food supply is imported Japan is heavily dependent on imported foods.

In 2014, Malaysia exports of processed food to Japan was valued at RM620.3 million an increase of 32.7 percent compared to the previous year. Top 5 products that showed the significant increase were cocoa & cocoa preparation, prepared cereals & flour, edible products & preparation and sugar & sugar confectionery. For the first 10 months (January-October 2015), exports of processed food also showed an increase of 25.3 percent, valued at RM654.7 million. Being Malaysia’s 3rd largest trading partner for exports, Japan’s total bilateral trade was valued at RM137.33 billion in 2014.

MALAYSIAN FURNITURE SUPPLIERS SECURE EXPORT DEALS FROM WORLD’S LEADING FURNITURE BUYERS AT INSP

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian furniture manufacturers participating in Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation’s (MATRADE) International Sourcing Programme (INSP) for furniture reaped RM42 million in export sales recently. The INSP was held in Menara MATRADE and involved international buyers from Russia, United States (US), India and Nigeria.

MATRADE’s Lifestyle Section Director Mr. Abu Bakar Yusof said the INSP for Furniture was part of MATRADE’s quick win measures aimed at boosting exports of Malaysian furniture products to various markets. The special programme also served as an excellent cost-effective avenue for Malaysian companies, especially SMEs, to network with potential trade partners and to penetrate into foreign markets.

A total of 115 business meetings with 22 Malaysian furniture producers and four factory visits to furniture manufacturers were held during the programme. The buyers to source for Malaysian furniture ranging from home furniture (upholstered sofa, dining, living and bedroom furniture), outdoor furniture and office furniture (chair, workstation, storage and filing cabinet).

Among the Malaysian furniture companies involved in the B2B business meetings were Marcoco, Gaoya, Procasa, Sintrium, Safari Furniture, Dee Noon Corporation, Jemaramas Jaya, Simewood Product, VG Sofa, Ganiart, Hupsheng, Synergy Wood, Dynamic Furniture, VS Office Furniture, BS Furniture, Sim Hup Seng, Chinfon and Hume Furniture, among many others.

"The INSP for furniture programme, besides its objective of generating sales and expanding Malaysia’s export markets, was also organised to build greater awareness of Malaysian products, which are high in quality and competitively priced," Abu Bakar said.

The 10 international buyers participating in the event were Home Town from Future Group (India), Pepperfry (Leading Online Retailer from India), VAVA Furniture Nig Ltd (Nigeria), Universal Furniture Ltd (Nigeria), TetChair (Russia), SXLDY Trade Ltd (Russia), Mebellier (Russia) and Kondoor Limited Company (Russia) and Ashley Furniture (US).

Malaysia’s exports of furniture in the first 10 months of 2015 registered a 13 per cent increase to reach RM7.5 billion as compared to last year’s performance. Exports of furniture to India in the first 10 months totalled RM270 million, US RM2.31 billion, Russia RM41.4 million and Nigeria RM2.5 million.

Abu Bakar mentioned that Malaysia’s furniture exports are expected to increase between 9 to 10 per cent this year from the RM8.01 billion in total exports registered in 2014.

MATRADE INTRODUCES LARGE CORPORATIONS AND SMEs PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME TO STIMULATE SERVICES EXPORT

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) announced its latest initiative to help boost Malaysia’s exports of services - Large Corporation-SME Partnership Programme at Menara MATRADE, Kuala Lumpur today. The partnership programme is an initiative by the government to increase the export of services sector and its contribution to the national economy.

The programme aims to increase the number of partnership between Malaysia’s large corporations and SMEs for international projects by way of procurement of the SME’s services by the large corporations. Under this partnership arrangement, SME service providers will benefit in terms of knowledge transfer, capacity building and international exposure.

The partnership programme will run for five years until 2020 and targets to assist a minimum of 10 SMEs and three partnerships yearly, throughout the five year period. Participation into the programme is open to Malaysian companies involved in the services sector or companies aspiring to export their services.

“Collaboration between large corporations and SMEs is the way to go. The partnership will give SMEs the opportunities to enhance their capabilities and gain exposure in foreign ventures with large corporations. Mentoring and emulating best practices should be encouraged in business,” said Dato’ Dzulkifli Mahmud, CEO of MATRADE.

The partnership programme is one of the initiatives listed in the Services Sector Blueprint which was launched in March 2015 by YAB Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Haji Abdul Razak. The Blueprint outlines strategic approach to optimise the services sector’s contribution to Malaysia’s economy. The services sector contributed 55 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014 and provided eight million jobs representing 61% of total employment of the country.

Exports of services in the third quarter of 2015 increased by 1.7% to RM34.14 billion (Year-on-Year basis) and higher by 3.9% compared to quarter two of 2015. The increase in exports were contributed mainly by higher exports of telecommunications, computer and information services (TCIS), construction as well as transports sector.

MISSION TO PROMOTE MALAYSIAN FURNITURE IN MUMBAI PROVED FRUITFUL

MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) has recently organised a Specialised Marketing Mission (SMM) on furniture to Mumbai from 1 – 5 December 2015. The mission, which involved eight Malaysia’s furniture suppliers, has registered sales of RM 44 million.

The event was organised as part of MATRADE’s quick-win measures to boost exports of Malaysian furniture products globally especially in India. The event has also provided Malaysian companies an opportunity to meet with India’s largest retailers as well as project owners in India.

India has been identified as a high-potential market for Malaysian furniture players as there is a growing middle class and an increasing amount of expendable income contributing to a rapid growth in India’s furniture retail. In 2014, India was the 8th largest consumer of furniture and among the top-5 retail markets in the world.

New retail channels such as e-retail have further increased the penetration into the market and offered greater exposure especially among the young consumers. The online furniture retail in India accounted for USD 115 million in 2014. However, it is expected to grow swiftly to USD 2.3 billion by 2018. Increased internet penetration and growth in smart-phone usage, especially in India’s Tier-II and Tier-III cities, are also driving the growth. More than 50 per cent of the online buyers hail from these cities.

In the first ten months of 2015, India’s imports of furniture from Malaysia have grown 37.5 per cent to RM270.1 million. Malaysia was the second largest furniture exporter to India during this period after China. This huge jump in imports was due to competitiveness of Malaysian products in India along with the increased growth of organised furniture retail.

Free Trade Agreements such as ASEAN India Free Trade Agreement (AIFTA) and Malaysia India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (MICECA) have also led to the reduction of import duties for furniture products in India giving an additional age for Malaysian products.

MATRADE Mumbai Trade Commissioner, Mr. Mazlan Harun said “In order to maximise the delegation’s visit to India, a series of meetings were organised with four of the largest furniture retail chains in India. As part of the strategies to promote Malaysian furniture in the fast growing e-commerce sector in India, various meetings were also organised with the top three Indian general e-marketplaces and an Indian top furniture e-retailer. In addition, 148 business meetings were coordinated between the Malaysian companies and selected Indian importers.”

Major Indian real estate developers too, participated in the business meetings to source for furniture for their real estate projects across India. Complementing this was the participation of interior fit out and design companies who came to understand the latest trends in Malaysian furniture to directly source these products for their various commercial projects in India.

“The Indian companies were interested in products like upholstered sofa, dining and living sets, and bedroom furniture, bedding, DIY furniture and office furniture,” Mazlan said.

International Biomass Conference Malaysia 2015

Building sustainable future industries

KUALA LUMPUR, 8 December 2015 – The International Biomass Conference Malaysia (IBCM) 2015 today witnessed the launch of Sabah Biomass Industry Development Plan (SBIDP) and the establishment of a Federal-State government driven Sabah Biomass Delivery Unit that will serve to execute the plan, serving as a major milestone for Malaysia’s stride towards a regional Premier Biomass Hub.

The signing of the Key Term Sheet between Brooke Renewables, a local Sarawak based consortium and Beta Renewables from Italy is to state the intentions of both parties to enter into a proposed Licensing Agreement for the utilisation of PROESA technology to convert biomass into ethanol for the Sarawak 2G Bioethanol and Biochemical Project. This signifies the certainty that Malaysia is on its way of owning the region’s first of such facility. These two significant developments for Sabah and Sarawak are major leaps for accelerating the nation’s progress towards achieving the goals set up in Malaysia’s National Biomass Strategy (NBS) 2020.

The International Biomass Conference Malaysia 2015 (IBCM 2015) was officially opened at the MATRADE Exhibition & Convention Centre today marking yet another initiative by the Government to drive the growth of Malaysia’s biomass industry.

Launched by the Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI) YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, IBCM 2015 is a joint collaboration between Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM).  Aimed at accelerating the integration of Malaysian biomass industry players into the global supply chain, ICBM 2015 congregates key industry players, technology & solution providers, scientists and leading biomass stakeholders to share insights, explore business opportunities and partnership models to move the agenda of the biomass industry forward.

Mustapa described the SBIDP and the Federal-State Delivery Unit as a joint development effort between Sabah State Government and Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM) as part of the National Biomass Strategy (NBS) 2020, setting another great example on the importance of Federal-State collaboration to help accelerate the realisation of a common biomass agenda.

He added that the Sabah plan identified critical state level enablers that would optimise the potential of the state and things that need to be in place to build an ecosystem that would accelerate the development of these biomass industries locally.

A biomass industry study is being conducted by Sarawak State Government and AIM to define its biomass development plan and it is currently in its final stages with the plan scheduled for launch in the first quarter of 2016. With both the State Governments of Sabah and Sarawak taking progressive vision and concrete measures to maximise their biomass potential, as they account for more than 50% of the available biomass in the country, both local and international stakeholders shall be able to progress projects and help build the country’s biomass value chain.

Similarly, such initiatives spearheaded under NBS 2020 will be covering other high potential States in Malaysia, as each location has its own suitability of downstream activities based on biomass availability, infrastructure and needs of local industry and community.

Mustapa congratulated MATRADE and AIM for organising the IBCM 2015 as it demonstrated the Government’s commitment to develop the biomass industry that has great potential which can be tapped for the future.

“We have acknowledged the Biomass Industry as one of the key economic area for new wealth creation for the country beyond 2020, as such we are not just promoting investment into the area through MIDA but developing the entire value chain which includes export markets and end uses with MATRADE,” he said.

The SIBDP and Federal-State Sabah Biomass Delivery Unit was launched and announced by Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Industrial Development for Sabah, Dato’ Raymond Tan. The Board of the Federal-State Sabah Biomass Delivery Unit will be chaired by the Deputy Chief Minister himself, with members from key Sabah State Government representatives and AIM as part of driving the biomass agenda.

The National Biomass Strategy Delivery Unit (1MBAS) under AIM will be part of the working team under the Federal-State Sabah Biomass Delivery Unit as the State develop its capabilities internally. Both Datuk Hj. Hashim, Permanent Secretary of MID Sabah and Mark Rozario, CEO of AIM were on stage to symbolise the close partnership and collaboration.

Also present at the launch was Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Dato’ Mah Siew Keong. In his special address Mah said the launch of the SBIDP and the Federal-State Sabah Biomass Delivery Unit, a localised execution authority to drive the plan showed how important the Sabah State Government views biomass as a future economic driver, one that is sustainable and would help create new job opportunities.

“The signing of the Licensing Agreement for the 2G Bioethanol Plant in Sarawak by Brooke Renewables and Beta Renewables signifies that Malaysia will have the region’s first 2G Bioethanol Plant despite the challenging economic situation globally. I applaud all the biomass project owners for taking a long term view for aligning themselves to the aspirations laid out in the National Biomass Strategy developed and led by AIM,” he added.

He noted that NBS2020 and 1MBAS led by AIM have played an active and prominent role in the biomass sector. “Forging new forms of industry collaboration, innovative feedstock mobilisation and business models backed with realistic on-ground information add tremendous value in engagements with companies both local and abroad to communicate, progress and accelerate Malaysia’s aspiration towards becoming the regional premier biomass downstream processing hub,” he said.

In the area of development of Municipal Waste opportunity in Malaysia, he said AIM is proud to announce that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Scania in November 2015 to develop a project for turning municipal waste into 2G biofuels, and eventually move towards other downstream products such as biochemical and etc. AIM is in the midst of engaging key stakeholders in this industry to detail out the development plan for 2016 and beyond.

“Another significant development to note in the Municipal waste area is a Joint Development Agreement signed between Renescience (part of Dong Energy) and Kualiti Alam (a wholly owned company of Khazanah Malaysia). This commitment is to secure a successful project that covers both commercial and technical feasibilities that will lead to investment decisions to be made for the project in Malaysia. This shows that we are expanding the biomass utilisation in this country as laid out in NBS 2020,” he said.

The two-day conference featured 27 speakers both international and regional experts in six panel discussions featuring topics such as; Is Biomass Industry a Threat to Environmental Sustainability, Can Malaysia be the Regional Biomass-Based Processing Hub, Gearing Towards an Advanced Bioeconomy, Is it Worth the Risk Accelerating Commercialisation of Biomass Research, and Incentives and Funding – Ways in Achieving Bankable Biomass Projects.

Ends

STRATEGIC APPROACH TO BOOST MALAYSIA’S EXPORT IN 2016

MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) at its Work Programme 2016 press conference announced that the trade promotion agency is participating in 150 programmes next year. The work programme has been developed by taking into consideration the global economic performance, the implementation of 11th Malaysia Plan and initiatives laid out by the National Export Council (NEC).

According to MATRADE’s Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Dzulkifli Mahmud, “The strategic orientations in the Work Programme 2016 are based on these elements - increasing responsiveness to market dynamics, partnering industries in the deliberation of trade promotion activities, building export capacity especially in the areas of SMEs development, enhancing the competitive advantage of companies, in export markets, leveraging on e-commerce platforms and focusing on high value sectors such as in Oil & Gas, Aerospace, Maritime & MRO, Medical, Electrical & Electronic, Construction & Professional Services. Complementing these, we will also be organising more programmes in Malaysia, via our signature events.”

“Malaysia may not be insulated from the on-going challenges in the global economy, but our business environment is well structured to support the existing activities while constantly seeking new growth opportunities and deepen relationship with China and ASEAN countries, especially now that the AEC has been realised,” he added.

The 150 programmes for 2016 comprise both Trade Promotion activities (85) and Exporters Development Programme (65). In 2015, MATRADE’s work programme included 116 programmes organised in 46 countries

Participation of companies will be channelled in a number of targeted programmes slated for next year such as the Go-Ex programme (150 companies), eTRADE (1,000 SMEs), Mid-Tier & Ramp Up programme (150 companies) and Best Exporters Programme (100 Bumiputera companies).

Additionally, there will be 30 outreach programmes under the Services Export Fund and 15 to 20 partnerships under the Large Corporation SME partnership programme.

The trade promotion programmes will take place in 35 countries around Asia, Europe, Americas and the Middle East. Of the programmes, 59% is centred around Asia (with strong focus on ASEAN), Europe (13%), Middle East (13%), Americas (4.7%) and Africa (3.5%). The programmes comprised local and International Trade Fairs, Trade Investment Missions, Specialised Marketing Missions as well as International Sourcing Programmes.

MATRADE will also be assisting the Ministry of International Trade and Industry to organise the 1Malaysia programme, a new initiative announced recently by the Government involving various agencies, GLCs and the private sector. The programme is set to create greater export performance for the country as well as to Brand Malaysia in the global marketplace.

The promotional programmes were also selected to create further leverage on the bilateral and regional Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) signed by Malaysia with countries like Japan, Turkey, China, Korea, India and Australia, New Zealand as well as with ASEAN countries.

“At present, more than 60 per cent of Malaysia’s exports are with countries which Malaysia has FTAs, either bilaterally or through ASEAN,” Dato’ Dzulkifli mentioned.

MATRADE’s Work Programme 2016 will serve as an effective platform for Malaysian manufacturers and professional service providers to promote their world-class products and services globally, ultimately expanding Malaysia’s export markets worldwide.

MATRADE HIGHLIGHTS EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES IN UGANDA AT MATCHING SESSION

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) received a delegation from Barclays Bank Business Group of the Republic of Uganda at the Malaysia Export Exhibition Centre (MEEC) in Menara MATRADE today. The visit was followed by a business matching session between Malaysian companies and Barclays Bank’s premium clients from Uganda.

The bank’s premium clients who participated in the business matching, termed as MATRADE’s International Sourcing Programme, were keen to source products and services from Malaysia as well as to forge strategic partnership with Malaysia’s companies in various business fields. The delegation was headed by Madam Annette Kiconco, Head of Enterprise Banking for Barclays Bank. The visit was Barclays Bank second visit to Malaysia. Previously, the visit took place in 2012.

A total of 14 business meetings were successfully arranged with 10 Malaysian companies. Among the products sourced were industrial machinery, underground cables, paints, home furniture and cooking oils.

Additionally, MATRADE also organised a meeting between Barclays, and EXIM Bank as well as SME Bank. The meeting was to explore potential areas of collaboration with the aim of strengthening trade and investment cooperation between Ugandan and Malaysia’s enterprises as well with African region in general.

Malaysia’s main export to Uganda comprised rubber products, chemicals & chemical products, palm oil & palm based products, manufactures of metal particularly iron & steel products and machinery as well as appliances & parts. The total trade between Malaysia and Uganda for the first 10 months of this year (January to October 2015) were valued at RM149 million, registering 30% increase as compared to same period in 2014.

The visit was timely as MATRADE aims to accelerate exports of Malaysian products and services to Uganda and African market. Malaysia’s exports to the African region in the first ten months this year grew by 4.5 % to RM 17.1 billion as compared to the corresponding period of 2014. Malaysian companies planning to venture into Uganda or its surrounding African countries are urged to leverage on MATRADE’s South Africa trade office located in Johannesburg, that covers the Ugandan market. The office is one of the 46 MATRADE trade offices around the world.

MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION

RM20 MILLION BY TERAJU TO BOOST BUMIPUTERA SMEs EXPORT CAPABILITIES

The “Best Exporters Programme” is in collaboration with SME BANK AND MATRADE Kuala Lumpur, 1st December 2015 – Unit Peneraju Agenda Bumiputera (TERAJU) today announced its latest collaboration with Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and Small Medium Enterprise Bank Malaysia Berhad (SME Bank) for “Best Exporters” Programme to promote participation and growth of Bumiputera SMEs in the export markets. The thrust of the “Best Exporters Programme” is to guide and develop potential and existing Bumiputera SMEs through a comprehensive enhancement and enrichment activities which focuses on six primary areas namely production and technical, financial, human capital, export, marketing and legal compliance competencies.

At the document exchange ceremony, Dato’ Husni Salleh, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TERAJU said, “TERAJU has allocated RM20 million for the programme which will be developed by MATRADE and will be managed by SME Bank to help Bumiputera SMEs develop their capabilities and capacity to be more competitive at global market. “Best Exporters Programme” will help the Bumiputera SMEs gain enhanced business qualities, improve their development capabilities and support them with valuable insights into building their businesses to export-ready entities.” Dato’ Husni further said that the programme is part of TERAJU’s ongoing initiative to foster and produce more export-based Bumiputera SMEs which in line with government’s aspiration to spur growth of local SMEs in the export markets.

At the event, Minister of International Trade and Industry, Y.B. Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed witnessed the document exchange ceremony between TERAJU, MATRADE and SME Bank. The documents were exchanged between TERAJU CEO, Dato’ Husni, MATRADE Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Dzulkifli Mahmud and SME Bank Group Managing Director, Datuk Mohd Radzif Mohd Yunus.

Meanwhile, Dato’ Dzulkifli Mahmud, Chief Executive Officer of MATRADE said, “Best Exporters Programme would see the Bumiputera SMEs take part in a comprehensive structured development programme with modules ranging from identifying business needs or gap, operational, strategic planning and potential expansion strategies. The programme will complement MATRADE’s other programmes dedicated for Bumiputera SMEs namely the Bumiputera Exporters Development Programme (BEDP).”According to SME Bank Group Managing Director, Datuk Mohd Radzif Mohd Yunus, “We are looking at allocating RM200,000 per participating company for them to explore the opportunities overseas. Once the opportunity is identified and the market is secured, the participants can access the SME Go financing facility that was developed to support the Going Export (Go-Ex) programme under MATRADE.

Participants can use this financing program to ensure they are able to meet the demand coming from their overseas counterparts.”Datuk Mohd Radzif added, “Best Exporters Programme target is to get at least 50 companies to become new exporters as well as penetrating new markets. Participating companies are expected to improve in export sales and revenue performance during the programme period.” The Best Exporters programme targets participation from 100 Bumiputera SMEs where credible Bumiputera SMEs either under TERAJU or SME Bank’s purview will be given preference to participate in the programme. The companies will also have access to a spectrum of services and programmes organized by agencies under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). The event brought together 150 companies which included TeraS and Bumiputera companies from various sectors. The companies were also given a briefing on the overall program and participation guideline at the event.

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ABOUT TERAJU

The setting up of TERAJU was announced by the Prime Minister YAB Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Tuesday 8 February 2011, to lead, coordinate and drive Bumiputera economic participation through existing and new initiatives and to propose institutional reform, to increase effectiveness. TERAJU will undertake strategic alignment of the resources of the government and its agencies. It has been introduced as a “Game Changer” to strengthen and empower the Bumiputera Development Agenda. Its ultimate aim is to enable the Bumiputera community to seize opportunities and equally benefit from rapid economic growth.

TERAJU’s focus will be on the following areas:

• Entrepreneurship & wealth creation
• Funding
• Education & employment
• Institutional & policy instrument review
• Stakeholder management

TERAJU also acts as the Secretariat for the “Majlis Ekonomi Bumiputera” (“MEB”).

ABOUT MATRADE

The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) was established on

March 1, 1993 as the external trade promotion arm of Malaysia's Ministry of International

Trade and Industry (MITI). Its functions are:

• To promote, assist and develop Malaysia's external trade with particular emphasis on the export of manufactured and semi-manufactured products and services;
• To formulate and implement export marketing strategies and trade promotion activities to promote Malaysia's export;
• To undertake commercial intelligence and market research and create a comprehensive database of information for the improvement and development of Malaysia's trade;
• To organise training programmes to improve the international marketing skills of Malaysian exporters;
• To enhance and protect Malaysia's international trade investment abroad; and
• To promote, facilitate and assist in the services areas related to trade.

ABOUT SME BANK

Designed to function ultimately as a one-stop financing and business development centre,

Malaysia’s SME Bank is dedicated to the accelerated growth of Malaysian SMEs. Through

better segmentation of SME financial and non-financial needs by industry, stage of growth

and product and market potential, the Bank will strive to hasten the financing processing of

eligible SMEs to meet their financing needs as well as support their business growth

requirements through the provision of timely advisory services. The principal activities of the

Bank are to provide financing as well as financial and business advisory services to Malaysian

SMEs residing within predefined categories which have been framed within the SME

classification guidelines of the National SME Development Council. SME Bank is celebrating

its 10 years anniversary this year. For more information, please visit: www.smebank.com.my

For further media queries, please contact:

i. Ulfat Khasyi’ah Baharudin

Corporate Communication

TERAJU

Tel: +603-7839 8000

Fax: +603-7839 8093

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ii. Zuhaila Akmar Mohd Sedek

Corporate Communication

MATRADE

Tel: +603- 62077077

Fax: +603- 6203 7194

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

iii. Abdul Latiff bin Puteh

Assistant Vice President

Group Corporate Communication

SME Bank

Tel: +603 2615 2954

Fax: +603-2698 1659

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

MATRADE Organises Seminar On G-Mark Regulation for GCC Market on 23 NOVEMBER 2015 (19 November 2015)

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian manufacturers or exporters of toys and Electrical & Electronic (E&E) products who wish to access the Gulf Markets are invited to register for a seminar organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) this 23 November 2015 at Menara MATRADE.

The seminar aims to provide insights on the impact of the changes in G-Mark regulation in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) market. The amendments to the regulations were imposed by the GCC Standardisation Organisation (GSO) and will take effect on July 1, 2016. The changes are common Technical Regulation for low voltage electrical products.

This Technical Regulation (BD – 142004 – 01) covers safety and electromagnetic compatibility and is applicable in the GCC member states - United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. It will be made mandatory for all Low Voltage Electrical Equipment and Appliances manufactured in or imported to the Gulf states. In this regard, Malaysian exporters will have to fulfill all necessary requirements listed under the Technical Regulation.

Apart from the highlight on requirements of the amended G-Mark, the seminar will also shed light on various aspects pertaining to this new regulation including the 13 types of electrical household appliances that are not subject to self-certification and the appointed registered Notified Body for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, among others.

Interested Malaysian toys and E&E manufacturers who exporting or are planning to venture into the GCC market are highly encouraged to register as participants at this seminar. For details and registration contact Norzulaila Mohd Dzafri (03-6207 7144) / Sobirin Baharudin (03-6207 7146) and Norshahida Othman (03-6207 7124). Closing date is on 21 November 2015.

MALAYSIAN COMPANIES TAP ON MEXICAN AND CANADIAN AEROSPACE MARKET

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) has identified Canada and Mexico as potential export markets for the Malaysian aerospace companies. Tapping on this opportunity, MATRADE has organised a Specialised Marketing Mission (SMM) recently to match Malaysian aerospace players with the buyers from both Mexico and Canada.

The participating Malaysian companies came from various aerospace-related industries namely manufacturing of high precision & critical components, plastic injection of mould products, metal base components & large dies, airport infrastructure management, human capital development, aerospace legal entity and state investment arm, among others. During the SMM, MATRADE had pre-arranged over 100 business meetings for the Malaysian suppliers with potential Canadian and Mexican buyers. A total of eight Malaysian companies participated in the mission.

As a result of the business meetings, the Malaysian aerospace companies had collectively generated over RM605 million of future sales.

Dato’ Dzulkifli Mahmud, MATRADE’s chief executive officer said, “We are delighted with the outcome of the mission. The close co-operation and the sharing of resources between MATRADE and the Malaysian companies have proved fruitful. The mission resulted in some promising short-term and long-term impact that could benefit Malaysian aerospace industry.”

“MATRADE will continue to support and assist the Malaysian companies in the aerospace industry. These local players should leverage on the network MATRADE has established over the years and learn from the other countries via our SMM, so they could contribute to developing a more structured aerospace industry for the country. This is vital for us to establish Malaysia as a regional aerospace hub,” he added.

In 2014, Malaysia exported RM43 million and RM32 million worth of aerospace products & services to Mexico and Canada, respectively. For the period of January to August 2015, exports of aerospace-related products & services were valued at RM24 million to Mexico and RM44 million to Canada. The main products exported included aircraft parts and components.

MALAYSIA COMPANY KYROL SECURITY LABS SIGNS MOA WITH IRANIAN IT COMPANY

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Information and Communications Technology (ICT) companies will have the opportunity to meet a delegation of foreign buyers at an International Sourcing Programme (INSP) organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE). The event takes place from 17 to 18 November at Menara MATRADE.

The MoA was signed by Mr Khairul Shapawi Abdul Karim, Director of Kyrol Security Labs and Maysam Mirzakhalili, CEO of Molkedanesh in the presence of Dato’ Dzulkifli Mahmud, CEO of MATRADE and Madam Sharimahton Mat Saleh, Director of Electrical and Electronic & ICT services, MATRADE.

The collaboration sees Kyrol Security Labs establishing their presence in Iran through transfer of expertise, including technical support and training in basic areas such as virus and malware detection to complex threat removal and firewall protection.

According to Kyrol Security Lab’s director, “We identified Molkedanesh as a potential partner during our recent participation in MATRADE-led Tehran International Industry Exhibition, in early October this year. Our attempt to expand market share in this region has been very positive so far, and we look forward to creating long-term business relationship with our partner, in terms of delivering a strategised and integrated security solutions to Iran and its neighbouring regions.”

In addition to the MoA signing ceremony, Kyrol Security Labs and other 29 Malaysian ICT companies were also provided with opportunities to network and meet with foreign buyers from Myanmar, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia through business matching activities at the INSP. The programme is organised by MATRADE to further enhance and facilitate the exports of Malaysian ICT services worldwide.

MATRADE MATCHES MALAYSIAN ICT PLAYERS WITH FOREIGN BUYERS IN KUALA LUMPUR

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Information and Communications Technology (ICT) companies will have the opportunity to meet a delegation of foreign buyers at an International Sourcing Programme (INSP) organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE). The event takes place from 17 to 18 November at Menara MATRADE.

The INSP will ease and grant quick access for Malaysian companies to forge new partnerships with potential buyers from overseas. The programme will see MATRADE hosting a delegation of 10 buyers from Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar, Indonesia, Iran and Turkey who are keen to source for Malaysian ICT products and services.

According to MATRADE’s chief executive officer, Dato’ Dzulkifli Mahmud, this specialised sourcing programme complements MATRADE’s other trade promotion programmes. He added that the Malaysian companies selected to meet the foreign buyers were identified based on market demands. “The INSP will save communication time and travelling costs for the Malaysian companies to meet with international buyers as all is being done at their home ground,” Dato’ Dzulkifli opined.

The Malaysian companies at the sourcing programme offer solutions and services for the banking sector, education, training and retail, amongst others. Meeting them are foreign buyers who comprise agents and distributors. Apart from networking, both Malaysian companies and the buyers will be performing a few one-on-one business meetings. Other activities lined up during the two day programme include a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signing ceremony between a Malaysian company and a foreign partner.

Malaysian companies, particularly SMEs, are encouraged to register as a MATRADE member online at www.matrade.gov.my to participate in MATRADE’s programme. As Malaysia’s trade promotion agency, MATRADE organises various trade promotion programmes which include participation in international trade fairs and trade missions. The agency also provides advisory on export and market intelligence for Malaysian companies.

MATRADE SHARES INSIGHTS ON EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES IN LATIN AMERICAN MARKET

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) organised a seminar titled Understanding Latin American Market: Opportunities for Malaysian Product and Services in Chile and Its Neighbouring Countries. The seminar took place today at Perdana Hall in Menara MATRADE.

The market awareness programme included a half-day briefing focusing on the Latin American market, particularly Chile and its neighbouring countries. The briefing aimed to encourage more Malaysian companies to benefit from the Malaysia-Chile Free Trade Agreement (MCFTA) and the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).

This market briefing was presented by MATRADE’s Trade Commissioner to Santiago, Ms. Noor Ezzwanee Ahmad who shared insights on doing business with Chile and its neighbouring countries, information on market opportunities and effective strategies to access the Chilean market including trade rules and regulations.

Chile is considered a gateway to Latin America due to its stable microeconomic policies and prudent fiscal measure. With the MCFTA, which took effect on 25 February 2015, the bilateral trade between Malaysia and Chile has been strengthened and is expected to further accelerate with the TPP.

Malaysia’s trade with Latin America in 2009 was RM987.2 billion and in 2014 it has increased to RM 1.5 trillion. In 2009, total export to the Latin America market was RM553 billion and in 2014 the number recorded 38 per cent increase to reach RM765.4 billion. Between the period of Jan to Sept of 2015, Malaysia’s total export to Latin America was valued at RM568.2 billion.

Among the top export destinations in Latin America are Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Panama and Peru. The main products exported to this region include electrical & electronics, rubber products, machinery, appliances & parts, chemical & chemical products, transport equipment and palm oil.

To obtain useful market intelligence, Malaysian companies are urged to engage with MATRADE’s Santiago trade office and email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For details of MATRADE’s future training sessions and seminars, email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

THAILAND PROVES PROFITABLE FOR MALAYSIAN ICT COMPANIES

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, KUALA LUMPUR: Participation of Malaysian Information and Communications Technology  (ICT) companies in a recently held Specialised Marketing Mission (SMM) to Bangkok, Thailand, reaped a total of RM100 million sales in both actual and potential sales under negotiation.

The SMM – a signature programme of Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) – took place from 27 till 30 October 2015. It involved 18 Malaysian companies supplying various ICT services ranging from banking, financial services & insurance (BFSI), retail, security, agriculture, education to telecommunication. The sales outcome of the mission was a result 170 one-on-one business meetings organised by MATRADE for the Malaysian companies.

Director of Electrical & Electronic and ICT Section of MATRADE Puan Sharimahton Mat Salleh mentioned, “Thailand, as ASEAN’s second largest buyer of ICT products and services, is a market that needs to be on every Malaysian companies export destination. The healthy acceptance towards Malaysian ICT companies in the Thai market shows that there is growing demand for Malaysian ICT products and services, which are considered to be of high quality and delivery standards among the Thai buyers.”

“The business communities in Malaysia and Thailand  are encouraged to work and complement each other via strategic alliances so they could leverage on the opportunities available in both countries. Such strategic collaborations increase their chances to venture into the third countries around ASEAN, especially when the ASEAN Economic Community is materialising by end of this year,” she added.Through the SMM, it was also noted that the ICT services most sought after by thebuyers are those with value-added features such as telephony and data solutions,point-of-sales (POS) and talent outsourcing management.

In 2014, the total trade between Malaysia and Thailand was RM85.3 billion. Malaysia’s export to Thailand was RM43 billion and the top-three exported products to Thailand were petroleum products; machinery, appliances & parts; and electrical &electrical products. Of the amount, Malaysia exported RM4.1 billion worth of ICT products to Thailand last year. In the same year, Malaysia imported Thai products valued at RM42.3 billion among which were natural rubber, automotive parts andpetroleum products.

MATRADE Takes The Lead to Introduce Malaysia First Service Centre for Exporters (12 November 2015)

OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPLY MALAYSIAN PRODUCTS & SERVICES TO BATTERSEA POWER STATION DEVELOPMENT COMPANY UNITED KINGDOM

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is organising Seminar on Working with ‘Battersea Power Station Development Company’, United Kingdom, and One to One business meeting on 11 November 2015.

The Battersea Power Station Development team led by the Procurement Manager, Mr. Benjamin Forbes will be visiting and meeting up with 17 pre-identified Malaysian companies comprises of timber flooring and door, steel bars, steel tubes and galvanized iron, ceramic floor tiles, ceramic wall tiles, homogeneous tiles, unglazed tiles, sanitary ware, tableware, high gloss acrylic panel, solid surface material, intellectual property licensing, product design & engineering, led lighting, ceiling queen energy board, steel doors, water cooled chillers, air cooled chillers, heat pumped chillers, wood machinery and equipment manufacturers and solder paste printer & glue machine.

The procurement team also consist of key procurement specialists from Skanska the contractor for phase II and Bouygeus, the Contractor for phase III of the Battersea project.

The consortium that developed the area comprises of S P Setia, Sime Darby and EPF with the redevelopment of the 39 acres site being undertaken and managed by British-based Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC).

The development will lead to the creation of 3,500 new homes, shops, cafés, restaurants and offices, establishment of a new 6 acres riverside park with the fully restored Power Station at its heart and will be open to the public. The project will be divided into 7 phases and expected to be completed in 2026.

The majority of the identified Malaysia companies targeted were relevant for Phase 1,2 and 3 of the project. Recent success was the collaboration between UK supplier Domus and Malaysian manufacturer of tiles, Kimgres. Domus tiles will supply the Battersea’s winter garden tiling package on Phase 1 project using Kimgres products. From this relationship Domus is now using Kimgres tiles across projects in London.

Construction is one of the largest sectors of the UK economy. It contributes almost £90 billion to the UK economy (or 6.7%) in value added, comprises over 280,000 businesses covering some 2.93 million jobs, which is equivalent to about 10% of total UK employment. The estimated value of building materials market is £43bn. After several years in the doldrums, there are positive signs that the construction sector in the UK is returning to growth. Economic forecasts say UK economy is in good health. Its GDP grew by 3.6% in the 1st half 2014, and estimated to grow by more than 3% in 2015.

In 2014, Malaysia exported RM 673.1 million worth of building material products to United Kingdom and this figure is expected to increase this year with the opportunities to supply in the upcoming major construction projects in the country. Main products exports to UK for building materials were plywood, veneered panels & laminated wood, builders joinery wood, tube, pipe fittings, plastic floor, wall covering, screw, bolts and nuts.

MATRADE’s CEO, YBhg Dato’ Dzulkifli Mahmud remarked “This event is to provide opportunities to enable Malaysian companies especially SMEs to supply the iconic Battersea project and eventually to enter the UK and European market.”

This seminar will encourage Malaysian companies to expand their products and services thus, create opportunity to source Malaysian products and services for this project through Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC) procurement process.

CANTON FAIR GRANTS MALAYSIAN COMPANIES ACCESS TO WORLD MARKETS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR : China Import and Export Fair also known as the Canton fair will see the participation of 36 Malaysian companies at its 118th installment, Phase 3 (Autumn Session). The event is set to take place from 31st October to 4th November 2015 at Pazhou Complex in Guangzhou, China.

To be led by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), this would be Malaysia’s 9th participation at the biannual event, which is held every Spring and Autumn. In the last Spring Session, the fair had attracted nearly 185,000 buyers from 216 countries such as Hong Kong, India, the United States, Taiwan China, South Korea, Thailand, Australia, Russia and Indonesia.

Introduced in 1957, MATRADE has identified Canton Fair as a strategic platform for Malaysian companies, especially the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to promote and brand Malaysian products to the Chinese and international buyers.

“In this challenging environment, Malaysian exporters should make full use of their involvement at Canton fair to aggressively expand their market reach globally,” said Mr Ong Yew Chee, Director of Business Services & Building Materials Section at MATRADE. He added that apart from the global buyers, the fair is also attracting importers from all over the provinces in China. This allows Malaysian exporters the opportunity to reach out to China’s market of 1.35 billion people.

The participating Malaysian companies will be showcasing products ranging from food & beverages items, healthcare & wellness products to household items. To optimise Malaysian companies’ presence at the Canton Fair, MATRADE has taken the initiative to arrange more than 80 one-on-one business meetings to match Malaysian participants with the Chinese importers. MATRADE is also collaborating with the fair’s organiser to invite international buyers from various countries to frequent the Malaysia Pavilion located at the hall.

Malaysia’s trade for the first eight months of 2015 had increased by 8.4% to USD25 billion (RM82 billion) with exports increasing by 3.6% to USD11 billion (RM36 billion), compared with the same period of last year. The increase signals good prospects for Malaysian exporters to further push their export to this region.

For details on exporting to China, Malaysian companies are encouraged to contact MATRADE’s trade office located in Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Hong Kong. Contact info of these offices are obtainable at www.matrade.gov.my.

HACCP CERTIFICATION ADDS GLOBAL VALUE TO MALAYSIAN FOOD MANUFACTURERS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2015,KUALA LUMPUR: In effort to encourage more Malaysian food manufacturers obtain the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) certification, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is collaborating with SIRIM QAS International Sdn Bhd and SME Bank to introduce the HACCP Certification Assistance Programme.

The joint-collaboration will see MATRADE providing financial assistance to companies in the application of the HACCP, SIRIM QAS International Sdn Bhd as the certifying body and SME Bank as the body to offer financing facilities for companies to upgrade or renovate their factories - a key requirement in HACCP. The pilot project is targeting at least 30 companies to be HACCP-certified within a 6-month period.

This collaboration will enhance Malaysian food manufacturers’ capability, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the global market. The initiative also helps to boost SMEs competitiveness and create greater market access for them.

HACCP is one of the available international food safety standards for food manufacturers complementing other international standards such as the GMP and Food Safety Management System (FSMS). All these standards are product assurances that ideally should be complied by manufacturers.

Complying with international standards such as HACCP increases Malaysian food manufacturers’ chances to venture into international markets. Standard certification provides assurances for international buyers and is highly sought after in affluent and high value markets such as the United States or Europe.

Compliance to HACCP certification has become crucial to food manufacturers especially to those who are exporting. The increasing consumers’ awareness around the world has resulted in a growing demand for high quality process standards, food safety benchmarks as well as approval and endorsement from regulatory or certifying bodies for food safety, such as HACCP, in their products of choice.

HACCP will not only ensure food safety, but improve food products’ marketability and heighten products acceptance globally too. Domestically, HACCP facilitates and expedites the issuance of Health Certificate by Ministry of Health.

Malaysia’s total exports between January to August 2015 were valued at RM498 billion. Of this amount, exports of processed food accounted for RM11.25 billion or 2.3 per cent share of Malaysia’s total exports. The top-10 export destinations for Malaysian processed food products between January to August 2015 were Singapore, Indonesia, China, Australia, Thailand, United States, Japan, the Philippines, Viet Nam and Hong Kong.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

aWEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is gearing up efforts to promote the benefits of the recently concluded Malaysia-Turkey Free Trade Agreements (FTA) by organising a seminar focusing on the advantages of the FTA to local businesses. Titled ‘Leveraging on Malaysia-Turkey FTA to Accelerate Exports’, the seminar takes place at Menara MATRADE in Kuala Lumpur.

The event features a general overview of the FTA by Ministry of International Trade and Industry’s Mr. Ariffatri Mohamad and a country briefing on Turkey by MATRADE’s Trade Commissioner to Istanbul Mr. Idzham Abdul Hamid. Over 160 participants, of which are Malaysia’s business communities, are congregating at the seminar.

The Malaysia-Turkey FTA has been the talk of the town ever since it entered into force on 1 August 2015. Among the perks from the FTA are; both Malaysia and Turkey will eliminate and bind duties at 0% for 70% of the tariff lines (products); after 8 years, the duties will be reduced or ultimately eliminated for almost 86% of the tariff lines (products) and the FTA also will see additional Customs Duties elimination for products like textiles, apparel and footwear.

Via the FTA, both countries have agreed to co-operate in the following areas:

• Small & Medium Enterprises
• Halal Related Areas
• Agriculture & Food Industry
• Research Development & Innovation
• Health (pharmaceutical, food safety, nutrition)
• Energy (energy sources & renewable energy)
• Electronic Commerce and
• Automotive (exchange of technical experts and sharing of knowledge and technology)

To accelerate exports to Turkey, MATRADE has organised a few trade promotion activities in Turkey among which were the Malaysia Week in Istanbul (2012), Specialised Marketing Mission (SMM) on ICT and CMC to Istanbul (2014) and SMM on Logistics Industry to Uzbekistan & Turkey (2014). This year, MATRADE organises the participation of Malaysian companies in two SMMs namely SMM on Food to Istanbul, held in conjunction with World Food Istanbul 2015 (3-6 September 2015) and SMM on Chemicals to Istanbul (12-14 November 2015).

From January to July this year, total trade between Malaysia and Turkey amounted to RM2.98 billion. Malaysia’s exports to Turkey totalled at RM1.61 billion, while imports amounted to RM1.37 billion. Malaysia’s top exports to Turkey for the period January to July 2015 were agriculture goods (RM386 million), manufactured goods (RM1.2billion) and mining goods (RM3.3 million).

Additionally, the Malaysia-Turkey FTA is expected to help strengthen bilateral trade and economic linkages between the two countries on a long-term basis. Malaysian exporters are encouraged to take full advantage of the opportunities offered under this FTA and benefit from preferential access for their products in Turkey.

For details on export opportunities in Turkey, please get in touch with MATRADE by emailing to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.matrade.gov.my.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is organising a Specialised Marketing Mission (SMM) on food products to Istanbul, Turkey starting today till 6 September 2015. The event is held in conjunction with World Food Istanbul 2015, the largest and most successful food and packaging exhibition in Turkey.

The participation is MATRADE’s first involvement in World Food Istanbul and the event sees the participation of 10 companies from Malaysia. The Malaysian companies joining the SMM include exporters of beverages, food ingredients, flavouring and colouring, herbal products, confectionery and snacks as well as fruits. More than 120 business meetings have also been scheduled between the Malaysian companies and buyers from Turkey ranging from importers, distributors and retailers.

According to Idzham Ab. Hamid, Director at MATRADE Istanbul, the marketing mission provides good trade opportunities as well as exposure to the Malaysian companies about the trends and requirements to export to Turkey. In addition, Malaysian companies could also consider Turkey as a gateway to the European Union (EU) market as it is a member of the EU Customs Union.

Furthermore, Malaysian exporters should capitalise on the growing needs for Halal products in Turkey. With a large young population, rising spending power and a widespread presence of modern international retail outlets, Turkey continues to offer a dynamic consumer base for growth in the food and beverages sector.

In 2014, total trade between Malaysia and Turkey amounted to RM3.17 billion. Malaysia’s exports to Turkey totaled at RM2.46 billion, while imports amounted to RM0.71 billion. Malaysia’s exports of processed food to Turkey for the period January to June 2015 has increased by 59.2 per cent to RM30.5 million compared to the same period last year. Major processed food products being exported include food preparations and ingredients, margarine and shortening as well as cocoa and cocoa preparations.

Additionally, the Malaysia-Turkey Free Trade Agreement (MTFTA) which came into effect on 1st August 2015 is expected to help strengthen bilateral trade and economic linkages between the two countries on a long-term basis. Malaysian exporters are encouraged to take full advantage of the opportunities offered under this FTA and benefit from preferential access for their products in Turkey.

TUESDAY, 1 SEPTEMBER, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) in collaboration with the Malaysia Petroleum Resources Corporation (MPRC) concluded a two-legged specialised mission for the oil & gas sector to Indonesia and Timor-Leste from 10 – 14 August 2015. Organised for the first time, the mission had met its objectives in exploring the export opportunities in Indonesia and Timor-Leste. The initiative helps to further strengthen existing bilateral relationship between Malaysia and both countries.

The mission delegation comprised 10 manufacturers and service providers in the oil & gas sector, mainly Small & Medium Enterprises. During the four-day mission, MATRADE arranged over 70 one-to-one business meetings for the Malaysian participants in Jakarta and Dili. The mission’s delegates were also given the opportunity to meet and discuss with both countries’ key stakeholders such as the Indonesia Coordinating Investment Board, the Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources Indonesia, SKK Migas, BPH Migas, National Petroleum Authority (ANP), and Timor Gap E.P.

Aimed at creating greater awareness and visibility on Malaysia’s capabilities in providing world-class oil & gas products and services, each delegate was given an opportunity to present their capabilities and expertise to the key stakeholders.

MATRADE’s Director of Oil & Gas and Chemical Section, Abu Bakar Koyakutty who led the delegation said, “The oil & gas industry is still in a recovery stage (from the current weakening oil price situation) and a lot of buyers are looking for competitively priced alternative supplies and Malaysia can provide this. This led to the mission generating RM1.45 billion of potential export sales.

Abu Bakar further explained, the potential exports were mainly from the services for regasification, tank farms and fabrication works. The supply deals are currently being ironed out between Malaysian companies and the foreign buyers and they comprised Mechanical Seals, engineering consultancy, Front-End Engineering & Design (FEED) Works, lubes for drilling mud, habitat and H2S safety services as well as pipeline construction inspection services.

According to one of the participants, Clifton George O'Keeffe from Oilfield Technical Inspection Sdn Bhd, "Our company has gained invaluable insights into the Indonesian and Timor-Leste oil & gas industry from this event. We realised that there are vast opportunities in Indonesia especially when its government is planning to improve its power distribution throughout the country, focusing in the eastern region,” he said.

“For Timor-Leste, the development of the Southern Corridor promises a vibrant oil & gas industry in the future. The mission has helped our company to better understand the business culture of both countries and has also widened our contacts with relevant government agencies and the local oil & gas business community,” he added.

Dr Ragunath Bharath from Innovative Fluid Process Sdn Bhd shared, "Indonesia is a huge market and has plenty of MNCs who are service providers while the local service providers are still being groomed. As for Timor-Leste, it is a market with an abundance of potential and future developments. We are interested in Timor-Leste market, particularly in the storage terminal and mini refinery projects. During the mission, we have met potential partners from both countries."

As the national trade promotion agency, MATRADE will continue to promote Malaysia’s oil & gas players globally and provide a platform for the export-ready SMEs to tap on the opportunities in the world’s oil & gas sector.

Complementing this mission are MATRADE’s other future events namely specialised missions for the oil & gas sector to countries such as Myanmar, Kuwait, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam. MATRADE will also continue its Global Sourcing Programme (GSP) with the MNCs of the oil & gas sector. Come 29 September 2015, a GSP with Baker Hughes will be held at Menara MATRADE, Kuala Lumpur. For more information on the event, please contact MATRADE’s Oil & Gas and Chemical Section at 03-6207 7682 or email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

FRIDAY, 28 AUGUST, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: For the first time ever in the country, Malaysia’s trade promotion agency, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) will be organising an event focusing on the export potential for Malaysian artists called ArtTalk@MATRADE. Themed as ‘Malaysian Art Going Global’ the event will take place on 1 September 2015 at Menara MATRADE in Kuala Lumpur.

The event will be attended by the who’s who in the local art industry such as Assoc. Prof. Madya Jalaini Abu Hassan, Director of Galeri Segaris and Mr. Mohammad Nazli Abdul Aziz, Managing Director of Galeri Chandan, who both will be presenting a topic during the affair. Prof. Jalaini will be speaking on the Development of Art Sector in Malaysia in Nurturing New and Young Artists while Mr. Nazli will be focusing on a topic - Venture into Global Art Market. The half-day event will also feature a prominent artist, Mr Ch’ng Huck Theng, President of One East Museum Art Gallery who will share his experiences in bringing his artworks to the international market and will be attended by the Chairman of Lembaga Pembangunan Seni Visual Negara, Dato’ Mahadzir Lokman.

Complementing the programme is an art showcase comprising works of new and emerging artists from Galeri Segaris and Galeri Chandan. This temporary gallery will be set up and opened for viewing from 1 until 14 September 2015 at Level 23, Menara MATRADE.

This special event is open to all Malaysian artists, budding and established, art aficionados as well as art buyers and is aimed at increasing the awareness on Malaysia’s art industry’s potential for global success.

According to Art Economics 2014, the global art market is now worth RM176.25 billion and this offers a huge opportunity for Malaysian artists to commercialise their artworks abroad. The event will also offer an overview of Malaysia’s vibrant art scene and more importantly it will be the starting point for MATRADE to engage more closely with the art community in Malaysia.

MATRADE has, since 2013, been promoting Malaysian art by organising a series of overseas art showcases namely in London, Melbourne and Miami. This is part of its efforts to accelerate the country’s soft and lifestyle exports. Statistics have shown that for the first six months of this year, Malaysia’s exports of lifestyle products have increased by 3.8% to reach RM 10.56 billion as compared to the same period of last year.

Interested parties can email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. on details to attend the event. Visit www.matrade.gov.my for more information on MATRADE’s programmes.

WEDNESDAY, August 19, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s participation in the recently concluded Global Destination for Shoes (GDS) and Tag It! International trade fair in Dusseldorf, Germany yielded sales of RM42 million.

Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) coordinated the participation of 10 Malaysian companies in the event. Among companies were Sakura Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Holmen (M) Sdn Bhd, Jimmy Couture Trend Sdn Bhd, Golden Boss Enterprise Sdn Bhd, Syarikat Sooi Seng Sdn Bhd, Unico Footwear Industry Sdn Bhd, Wai Hong Shoe Industry (M) Sdn Bhd, Kong Brothers Enterprise Sdn Bhd and HTP Soles Manufacturer Sdn Bhd.

According to Mr. S.Jai Shankar, MATRADE’s trade commissioner to Frankfurt foreign buyers are still open to sourcing from Malaysia as the range of products offered by Malaysian exporters remains wide. “The buyers are also confident of the quality assurance accorded by Malaysian products as well as commitment from the Malaysian manufacturers in providing flexible offers,” he said.

Malaysian exporters are usually ready to take smaller orders from buyers who are either relatively small or wish to test the capabilities of different suppliers. “This is something that some of Malaysia’s competitors might not be too keen to provide. Many of the buyers came to the booth to repeat their orders and add new designs to their collections,” he added.

Involvement in the event builds a stronger presence for Malaysian footwear and accessories industry in the global market, particularly in Europe. In 2014, Malaysia’s global exports of footwear rose by 4% to RM 493.10 million as against 2013. For the first half of 2015, exports of footwear totalled at RM 263.6 million, an increase of 7.9% as compared to the same period of last year.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is spearheading the initiative to organise a technical assistance programme called the Third Country Training Programme (TCTP). Themed as “Trade Promotion for African countries”, the event kicked off on 17 August 2015 until 28 August 2015.

This programme is a collaborative product between MATRADE, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Government of Japan through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The TCTP is seen as a medium to fulfil the government’s commitment in strengthening the South-South Cooperation in the area of capacity building among developing countries.

The participants of the programme come from 15 government officials of various ministries and agencies in charge of trade promotion such as from Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Among the programmes in TCTP include knowledge-sharing sessions by MATRADE officials, study visits to trade-related Malaysian agencies and networking sessions with Malaysian exporters as well as factory visits.

Besides sharing trade experience and know-how, TCTP will strengthen trade relations between Malaysia and the participating countries from the African nations. Additionally, MATRADE is also leveraging on the programme to explore export opportunities for Malaysia in the participating countries.

2015 marks the second year MATRADE organises TCTP. The first programme was held on 24 November till 5 December 2013. The programme reflects Malaysia’s and Japan’s efforts to help other nations overcome global challenges through capacity building program such as this.

It was reported that from January to June 2015, Malaysia’s trade with African countries stood at RM14.33 billion, where exports were recorded to reach RM9.38 billion and imports at RM4.95 billion. Among the main exports from Malaysia to Africa are palm oil, petroleum products, processed food as well as chemicals and chemical products.

MONDAY, 17 AUGUST, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) will be organising a Specialised Marketing Mission (SMM) for Oil & Sector to Kuwait in conjunction with Kuwait Oil & Gas Show and Conference (KOGS) 2015, which will be held from 11 – 14 October 2015. This mission is MATRADE’s first specialised mission to Kuwait for the oil & gas industry and in KOGS.

The mission aims to explore the opportunities for collaboration between Malaysian and Kuwaiti companies in the oil & gas sector as well as to enhance linkages for Malaysian product and service providers of oil & gas in Kuwait. The mission’s programme includes visits and meetings with relevant oil & gas authorities and major players in Kuwait as well as pre-arranged individual business meetings at KOGS 2015 with potential Kuwaiti and foreign companies.

Kuwait has one of the strongest oil & gas industry environments in the Middle East and is one of the top-10 global producers and exporters of total petroleum liquids. As an OPEC member, Kuwait has the world’s sixth largest oil reserves and currently produced approximately 2.5 million barrel-per-day (bpd). Kuwait aims to reach a production capacity of 4 million bpd by the year 2020. As a result, Kuwait has announced a series of large-scale ventures, including Project Kuwait, to encourage foreign investments. Apart from that, Kuwait is also focussing on natural gas exploration and development, aiming at building one of the largest downstream projects in the Middle East – all of which promises export opportunities for Malaysian companies.

KOGS 2015 incorporates an international exhibition of oil & gas hardware and services, as well as a technical conference programme. The 3-day exhibition serves all areas of the oil & gas industry and is in line with the 3-day multi-disciplinary conference programme focuses particularly on science and engineering. Interested companies can register at http://www.matrade.gov.my/en/online-applications/specialised-marketing-mission to participate in the SMM. The closing date for the registration is 28th August 2015. For more information, contact MATRADE’s Oil & Gas and Chemical Section at 03 – 6207 7077 (ext. 7682).

THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: To increase the export engagement among Indian business community in Malaysia, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) will be organising a talk titled Indian Business Community Power Talk (IBC Power Talk) on 19 August 2015. This inaugural event will take place at Perdana Hall, 6th floor (West Wing) in Menara MATRADE, Kuala Lumpur and is set to start from 9am till 1pm.

Driven by the objective to deepen export awareness among the Malaysia’s Indian business community, the talk is considered a capacity building programme. It will feature diverse topics such as on MATRADE’s roles and functions in assisting exporters and potential in online exports via e-marketplaces. There will also be an experience sharing-session by Indian-owned companies that have successfully made global presence through the exports of their products or services. Complementing these are a trade clinic session and a business consultation session.

MATRADE’s Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Dzulkifli Mahmud opined that this initiative will enhance the Indian business community export contributions to the nation. “There are a substantial amount of successful Indian companies in the country and MATRADE wishes to strengthen and accelerate their export performance for the benefit of Malaysia’s economy. This aspiration of globalising their businesses can be realised by first increasing their awareness in exports,” Dato’ Dzulkifli said.

All Indian businesses enterprises ready to export or exporting are encouraged to attend the IBC Power Talk to gain export knowledge and to network with other players in the export industry.

Participation is free and registration can be made on www.matrade.gov.my.For more details, interested participants can contact Mr Sobirin or Ms Norzulaila at 03-6207 7146 or 03-6207 7144, respectively.

TUESDAY, August 11, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Three recent sourcing visits organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) for Malaysian companies with international buyers have generated RM 119.53 million worth of export sales. The three international buyers were the Home Retails Group from the United Kingdom, Boots Retail Thailand and SN Wide Reach Marketing from the Philippines.

The Home Retail Group is United Kingdom’s leading home and general merchandise retailers with 1,100 stores and 50,000 product lines. Boots Retail is a major pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer in Thailand with 250 outlets. SN Wide Reach Marketing is one of the leading distributors of industrial chemicals, medical supplies, gloves and nutraceutical in the Phillipines.

A total of 22 Malaysia’s suppliers were involved in the meetings arranged at the Malaysia’s Export Exhibition Center (MEEC), MATRADE. Products sourced include home electronic appliances, outdoor and indoor furniture, plastic household items, tiles and flooring, food supplements, medical supplies, gloves and PVC food wrap.

MATRADE's Director of Lifestyle Section, Abu Bakar Yusof said MEEC serves as a focal point for buyers sourcing for high quality and competitively priced Malaysian products and services. “MECC caters to the need of not only international buyers but also Multinational Companies (MNCs) in Malaysia seeking for locally-made products and services. Domestic trading companies or traders are also able to source products for exports”, he mentioned.

The MEEC is a permanent display centre sprawling over 4,500 sq meters and is exclusively designed to showcase and promote various Malaysian products and services. The permanent display center, located on the 2nd floor of Menara MATRADE, allows trade visitors to discover and examine a wide selection of products and services from over 500 Malaysia companies both manufacturers and service providers, covering 30 industry subsectors such as Green Technology, Electrical and Electronics, Chemicals, Automotive, Rubber, Plastics, Pharmaceuticals, Food and Beverage as well as Timber and Wood based products. It also covers services industries such as Oil and Gas, Construction, Business Services, Healthcare and Education.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2014, KUALA LUMPUR: Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) together with Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and SME Corporation will be organising the AEC Open Day on 10 August 2015 at Menara MATRADE, Jalan Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, Kuala Lumpur. The open day is to further enhance the understanding among the business sector on the growth opportunities that AEC will create for their business in the region.

The AEC is defined by four pillars - creating a single market and production base, increasing competitiveness, promoting equitable economic development, and integrating ASEAN into the global economy. To synergise the region’s markets and production hubs, this would entail the free flow of goods, services, investments, capital and skilled labour. Malaysia as the Chair of ASEAN this year is ramping up its efforts to promote the region by organising talks and fora for Malaysian business communities, among its other activities.

With the slogan ‘Thinking Globally, Prospering Regionally’, the programme from 8.00am to 4.00pm will be officiated by the Secretary General of MITI YBhg. Tan Sri Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria. The highlight of the event will be a dialogue on AEC with the Minister of MITI, YB. Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed.

Apart from getting an overview on the AEC, the event will also create a platform to showcase various market opportunities in ASEAN for Malaysian businesses, especially SMEs. The panel of speakers includes MATRADE Trade Commissioners to the ASEAN countries and representatives from the Business Councils. Selected Malaysian companies are ready to share their success stories in ASEAN at this event. How to reduce cost in business is one of the key topics by MITI at the event, which will be of interest to many in the export sector.

MATRADE invites Malaysian companies, manufacturers, exporters and suppliers to attend the AEC open day to gain more knowledge and explore the business potential in the ASEAN market.

Participation is Free of Charge and registration can be done online via MATRADE’s website (http://www.matrade.gov.my/en/online-applications/matrades-exporters-training-programme/470). The closing date for registration is 7 August 2015. Contact Syed Zahirulddin / Mr. Sobirin at 03-6207 7143 / 7146 or email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more details.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: In an effort to create more awareness on the impact of exchange rate volatility to Malaysian exporters, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) organises a talk titled “Economic Outlook and The Impact of Exchange Rate Volatility” at MATRADE Exhibition and Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

The talk aims to provide accurate information on the issue and to equip Malaysian businesses with the knowledge to mitigate the risk when dealing with challenges arising from the fluctuation of Ringgit. Over the recent months, Ringgit has been facing high volatility, falling to a midyear low against the US Dollar. To some businesses especially those dealing primarily with exports, may stand to gain from the current situation. However, the overall macroeconomic impact may tell a different story.

The talk benefits business community namely exporters, importers, traders, SMEs, MNCs and Mid-Tier Companies in finding ways to sustain their business competitiveness in the current economic landscape. Business Associations, Chambers of Commerce, Officials from Ministries and Government Agencies too, will gain from attending the event.

At the event, the participants are exposed to global and domestic economic developments, the trends in Ringgit and currency trading and its macroeconomic and microeconomic impacts. They will also get the opportunity to have a discussion with the expert.

Speaking at the talk is economist and Head of Research at RAM Rating Services Bhd Kristina Fong who will also be presenting the outcome of an analysis on currency fluctuations’ risk assessment.

More information on the talk is available on MATRADE’s portal www.matrade.gov.my. For any enquiries, email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian food and beverage (F&B) products received strong interest from Thailand buyers during the recent Border Trade Fair in Songkhla held in June 2015. A total of 14 Malaysian companies from Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, Penang and Melaka had participated in the event.

According to Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) Bangkok’s Trade Commissioner, Mr. Niqman Rafaee Mohd Sahar, “The event was organised to embody Thai Government’s strong commitment in promoting border trade activities especially with the current announcement of the 1st Phase of The Special Economic Zones in 5 areas, one of which includes Sadao, Songkhla Province.”

MATRADE also took the initiatives to host a business talk session with Central Group representatives (Southern Branch) that was held at the Consulate General Office of Malaysia in Songkhla. Central Group is the owner of the Central Festival Mall Hatyai and the group is the largest supermarket chain with 150 stores operating across Thailand. A business networking session was also organised with other retail players in the Southern Province such as ODEAN Mall, DIANA Mall and Members of the Songkhla Chamber of Commerce with Malaysian suppliers. The business matching efforts concluded with total sales of RM4.28 million generated by Malaysian companies.

The Border Trade Fair in Songkhla had attracted the participation of companies in the areas of F&B, lifestyles, beauty care and cosmetics, tourism as well as Halal industry. Products showcased were agricultural products, food processing, furnishings – handicrafts & art articles, household products, fashion & accessories, cosmetics, jewelries & gifts as well as services sector. Complementing Malaysian companies’ participation were companies from the Southern Provinces (Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Satun, and Songkhla) and from Northern, North-Eastern and Central of Thailand.

In 2014, Malaysia’s total border trade with Thailand amounted to THB507.6 billion or about USD15.3 billion (about 61.4 percent) of bilateral trade between both countries. With positive growth in border trade activities and increasing business interest, more opportunities can be explored between the two nations. Southern Provinces in Thailand are considered a good entry hub for our Malaysian products/services into Thailand’s huge market. In 2014, Thailand is Malaysia’s 5th most important trading partner and ranked 2nd within ASEAN Countries

THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) had recently organised a programme to introduce Malaysian companies supplying home improvement and products of building materials to USA‟s second largest home improvement retailer, Lowe‟s. The programme comprised a seminar titled Opportunities to Supply to the World’s Major Home Improvement Retailer, Lowe’s (USA) and one-on-one business meetings held on 7 and 8 July 2015 at Menara MATRADE in Kuala Lumpur.

The business meetings concluded with almost RM100 million of potential sales generated. This business matching involved 20 Malaysian companies.

MATRADE‟s Chief Executive Officer Dato‟ Dzulkifli Mahmud remarked that this event was part of MATRADE‟s „Large Corp Programme‟ aimed at providing opportunities for Malaysian exporters especially the SMEs to be part of Lowe‟s global supply chain. At the event, Dato‟ Dzulkifli urged Lowe‟s to source more from Malaysia as Malaysian exporters have the ability to offer them products of the highest quality and competitively priced.

With 1,750 stores, Lowe‟s operates across the USA, Canada and Mexico. During the event, the brand has expressed their interest in products namely wooden door, sawn timber, plywood, furniture, cellulose reinforced fibre cement, printed circuit board, wire harness assembly, electric cables, kitchenware & stainless steel, steel products, LED lighting, ceramic pottery, plaster ceiling and roofing as well as window, awning & decorative products.

Lowe‟s Sourcing Development Director Ms Tammy Edson said, “We are happy to collaborate with MATRADE in getting more Malaysian companies to supply to Lowe‟s stores. It is our third time here and the fact that we are back here shows that we believe in Malaysian products.” Lowe‟s sourcing mission is timely and is part of the brand‟s diversification effort away from its traditional sources.

There is reportedly a stronger demand in the USA for construction and building materials as well as for home improvement products following the recent recovery of the US‟ economy, which resulted in the revitalisation of US‟ property market.

Malaysia‟s exports to the USA in 2014 recorded a double digit growth of 6.8% to USD19.68 billion, while imports decreased by 0.5% to USD15.99 billion resulting in a total trade of USD35.67 billion.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Chinese buyers can now find Malaysian products through www.zhongdamen.com, a Business-to-Consumer (B2C) online platform based in Henan Province, targeting 300 million consumers in the Western and Central China. This came as a result of Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation’s (MATRADE) collaboration with zhongdamen.com.

The website was established by Henan Central China Logistic Co. Ltd, a China state-owned enterprise, and was launched by the Premier of China in Zhengzhou, Henan in April 2015. The collaboration had resulted in the creation of a virtual Malaysia Pavilion for Malaysian products on the website. Malaysia is the only Asian country being given the privilege to have the e-pavilion. Other pavilions in zhongdamen.com are dedicated to the USA, UK, New Zealand, Canada and Australia.

MATRADE has arranged a series of business matching meetings for Malaysian companies to promote and enhance their market access for fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), food and beverages products on zhongdamen.com. To date, a total of 51 Malaysian products are available on the website’s Malaysia Pavilion. Among the major brands available are Beryl’s (chocolates), Claypot (sauces & pastes), Rasaku (coconut milk), Ina (instant noodles), Super (white coffee), Cowa (coconut water), Guarana (cappuccino) and Nu-Prep (Tongkat Ali supplements).

On July 7, 2015, one-on-one business meetings involving six Malaysian exporters were arranged by MATRADE with the sourcing agent for zhongdamen.com. The meeting ended with RM6.32 million potential online export sales for herbal products, sauces, fish crackers, curry paste, instant white coffee and durian products.

“MATRADE will continue to leverage on online platforms to enhance market access for Malaysian products in China. This initiative is in line with the strategy to enhance exports to China and it complements MATRADE’s eTRADE programme which is created to promote exports through e-marketplaces. This is one of our efforts to realise the Malaysia-China bilateral trade target of USD160 billion by 2017,” said Mr. Ong Yew Chee, MATRADE’s Director of Building Materials and Business Services Section.

China’s Internet Watch (China’s news source), reported that by 2015, e-commerce transactions in China are projected to hit USD540 billion, or approximately 10% of total retail transaction and by 2020, China’s e-commerce market is forecasted to be larger than those of the USA, Britain, Japan, Germany and France combined. As China is such a huge country with huge consumer market, e-commerce is an ideal platform to reach out to the consumers. Malaysian companies should leverage on this collaboration and expand their market not only in the 1st tier cities but also to the 2nd and 3rd tier cities in China.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: The 1st Malaysia Services Exhibition (MSE) and Showcase Malaysia 2015 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) from 1 – 3 July, had yield a pleasantly surprising outcome as the 23 Malaysian companies participated in the event achieved RM2.04 billion in export sales.

The sales were for digital signage systems, project management training, construction of highways and roads, waterproofing products, engineering testing equipment, water-repellent and anti-corrosion products, residential water heaters, and supply of high-grade plastic bathroom accessories.

With the aim to ensure success for Malaysian services companies in clinching business deals and contracts, more than 340 business meetings were arranged by MATRADE for Malaysian companies with international establishments during the event. In addition, there were also business discussions and meetings arranged with Vietnam’s project owners for roads and highways and commercial as well as residential projects.

The MSE program had proven to be an effective avenue for Malaysian exporters of services and products to offer their expertise and knowledge globally. An added bonus, being present in the local market had also allowed the Malaysian companies to study and evaluate the market potentials available in the targeted market, first-hand.

Held in conjunction with the Vietnam International Construction and Building (VICB) 2015, the uniquely designed Malaysia Pavilion based on cluster concept by sectors of Services for architectural, project management, construction industries, and by- products for building materials had attracted much interest from the trade visitors.

Malaysian companies venturing in property development projects in Vietnam are mostly involved in residential, commercial, township and mixed developments as well as industrial processing and manufacturing, water supply and waste treatment and hospitality industries. In addition, Malaysian financial institutions such as Public Bank, Hong Leong Bank and Maybank are already making their way into this market.

In 2014, Malaysia registered a total trade with Vietnam worth of US$9.04 billion, with exports totalled at US$4.38 billion while imports were recorded at US$4.66 billion. Major export items include:

• Electrical and electronic products, valued at US$1.01 billion;
• Chemical and chemical products (US$757.2 million);
• Palm oil (US$488.5 million);
• Petroleum products (US$329.6 million) and
• Manufactures of metal (US$276.6 million)

Our main imports from Vietnam in 2014 were:

• Electrical and electronic products valued at US$1.4 billion;
• crude natural rubber (US$385.6 million);
• Agriculture products (US$301.5 million);
• Textiles, clothing and footwear (US$231.2 million) and
• Non-metallic mineral products (US$225.7 million)

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Recognising opportunities for Malaysian companies in the African region, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) led a Specialised Marketing Mission (SMM) to Port Louis, Mauritius with participation of 50 business representatives from 34 Malaysian companies.

The mission which was held from 19 - 22 May 2015 generated RM 71.47 million worth of potential export sales through 576 business meetings with 215 Mauritian buyers. Products and services that were sourced during the mission included building and construction materials, disposable medical devices (syringes and gloves), renewable/green technologies, food and beverages (snacks and confectioneries, cocoa products, pre-mixed beverages, seasoning and sauces) as well as electronic devices for remote monitoring and control for home and business.

According to MATRADE Johannesburg which also covers Mauritius, “The mission was a follow up to the trade mission in March 2014 led by YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of International Trade & Industry”. The office added that Malaysian brands across a variety of sectors are well known in Mauritius and have built a reputation for quality products and value for money.

Based on feedback, Malaysia could offer more products and services which are still not available in the Mauritian market. Despite a relatively small population of 1.2 million, Mauritius’ tourism sector has generated demand for related products and services for the hospitality industry as well as for the local population.

Bilateral trade between Malaysia and Mauritius in 2014 amounted to RM 360.75 million. Exports to Mauritius stood at RM 352.98 million while imports were RM 7.77 million. The main products exported to Mauritius were processed food, non-metallic mineral products, chemicals & chemical products and wood products.

For more information on Mauritius market, contact MATRADE by emailing to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Details on the latest trade promotion programmes are available at www.matrade.gov.my

MONDAY, 6 JULY, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) together with Ministry of Health, Malaysia and Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia (APHM), has successfully organised an Incoming Buying Mission in conjunction with the APHM International Healthcare Conference and Exhibition 2015.

The buying mission which was held on 15 – 16 June 2015 generated sales of RM39.63 million (US$10.71 million). A total of 268 business meetings were held between 19 international buyers and Malaysian exporters of medical devices and pharmaceuticals. The buyers were from Republic of Korea, Turkey, China, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.

Major products interested and sourced by the foreign buyers were hospital furniture, respiratory products, chemotherapy products, surgical instruments, catheters, syringes & needles, medical disposables such as examination & surgical gloves, condom and masks, pharmaceuticals products and IT healthcare system.

The cooperation between MATRADE, the Ministry of Health and APHM have resulted in a successful buying mission with positive outcomes for Malaysian healthcare companies seeking to expand into international markets.

MATRADE and the industry will continue to work together to ensure our continued presence at world’s leading events for medical devices and pharmaceuticals industry. The forthcoming events by MATRADE to promote the healthcare products will see Malaysian companies’ participation at Medical Fair Thailand from 10-12 September 2015, CPhI Worldwide 2015, Paris from 13-15 October 2015 and MEDICA Dusseldorf, Germany from 16-19 November 2015. Interested Malaysian companies may contact MATRADE or login to www.matrade.gov.my to obtain information about these events.

THURSDAY, 2 JULY, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) urges Malaysian exporters to explore the business opportunities in Chile’s automotive parts market which is seeing a rapid growth in demand in 2015.

Many of the automotive services centres and distribution companies in Chile serve the country’s huge mining and agriculture industries. The mining companies either own their mining equipment and passenger vehicles fleet or are serviced by the transport companies in Chile which also provides maintenance services to their vehicles.

There is also a need to serve Chile’s vast public transportation either the urban area buses in populated cities as well as the long-distance express buses that goes from North to the South of Chile daily.

According to MATRADE’s Trade Commissioner in Santiago, Ms. Noor Ezzwanee Ahmad, “Exporters interested to supply to Chile’s automotive parts market should be aware that price is an important factor in their purchase consideration due to rising competition from other countries. To compete in Chile, Malaysian exporters may need to lower their profit margins in the initial stages of market penetration. We need to be as aggressive and committed as the American, European, Chinese and other Asian competitors in marketing while maintaining quality and service”.

“Apart from that, some Chilean importers would request a different specification to meet the local industry requirement, so exporters should be flexible with their production to accommodate the request”, she added.

There is ample opportunities in the aftermarket parts and accessories market since there are approximately 4 million vehicles in Chile and nearly 50% of cars in use in Chile may be over 10 years old. Consumers in Chile seek for quality and they are willing to pay more for a replacement part that will last. It is estimated that the automotive parts market in Chile in 2015 is nearly USD2 billion, with imports accounting for almost 70%.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian companies that participated in the Specialised Marketing Mission organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) at the recently concluded Paris Air Show 2015 realised export sales valued at RM602.9 million.

Malaysian companies which received strong support from the buyer’s community at Paris Air Show 2015 included companies involved in areas such as MRO services, precision machined parts and tooling parts, conditioned-based maintenance, aircraft & engine structural integrity testing, analysis of flight data recorder, aerospace R&D, aerospace aviation and aero-manufacturing for both commercial & defence services and equipment.

Apart from France, the Malaysian companies also concluded sales from buyers in countries such as Germany, Spain, The Netherlands, Philippines, Algeria, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

The event which was held at Paris Le Bourget, France from 15-21 June 2015 involved the participation of 10 Malaysian companies and all the Malaysian companies would like to continue their participation in the next Paris Air Show 2017, due to the success of the event this year. A total of six MOUs were signed by 4 Malaysian companies with buyers from France, The Netherlands, and Spain including Airbus, Safran-Snecma, Cadmes and CT Ingenieros.

According to Mr. Md Silmi Abd Rahman, the Director of Transport, Logistics, Machinery and MRO Section of MATRADE, Paris Air Show provides a platform for Malaysian companies to further promote their products and services to the European market and serves as a stepping stone for globalisation. ‘Aerospace industry, especially in France has recognized Malaysia's capabilities. The confidence shown by the French companies towards Malaysian suppliers and service providers creates further confidence to the other key players in the industry’, he added.

This is MATRADE's second participation at the Paris Air Show. Apart from Malaysia’s participation, the event also attracted the national pavilions from Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Turkey, including Indonesia and Singapore from ASEAN.

In total 2,303 companies from 40 countries showcased their products and services with 130 aircrafts displayed and 351,000 visitors attended the event.

‘Our marketing efforts were done through B2B meetings, networking event with major players of the industry as well as business seminars collaborated with GIFAS,’ Mr. Silmi added.

Malaysian exhibitors were involved in two networking events which provided them with opportunities to meet other exhibitors especially those from Turkey, Germany and Spain. Besides that, MATRADE overseas offices also arranged business meetings with organisations such as Safran-Snecma, French Aerospace Industries Association (GIFAS), Dassault, Thales and Airbus. Malaysian companies presented their company capabilities to more than 25 important decision makers in a seminar organized by GIFAS. MATRADE also leveraged on the event to meet up with relevant organisations for market intelligence and access.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian companies involved in the recent Malaysia Services Exhibition (MSE) in Doha, Qatar, had successfully generated total sales of RM351.55 million throughout the 4-day event held from 4 to 7 May 2015. The MSE was organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and took place in conjunction with Project Qatar 2015 : The 12th International Construction Technology and Building Materials Exhibition 2015.

MATRADE had pre-arranged a total of 1,032 business meetings between the 10 participating Malaysian exhibitors with Qataris’ and foreign companies. Among the services and products featured at MSE Doha were architectural services, engineering services, nano-coating products, waste-bins, benches, glass products, aluminum doors and windows, washroom hygiene products, air conditioners, as well as LED lightings and systems.

MATRADE had also organised several networking business sessions and business visits to several upcoming projects in Qatar among which included the FIFA World Cup Stadiums, the new Doha International Airport, Barwa Commercial Avenue and Urjuan Project, Lusail Development, Entertainment City Qatar, Doha Metro Project and The Amphibious 1000.

Project Qatar 2015 was officiated by the Minister of Economy and Commerce for the State of Qatar, H.E. Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al-Thani. The opening ceremony was attended by officials from ministries, embassies, industry professionals, and decision makers of companies from various industries.

Qatar’s construction sector has a diverse portfolio comprising infrastructure projects that worth an estimated USD200 billion. Project Qatar is considered an effective platform and gateway for Malaysian companies in the construction industry to enter the dynamic and developing Middle East markets. The participation of Malaysian companies in Project Qatar 2015 had further enhanced the presence and availability of Malaysian capabilities in Qatar and within the Gulf region as well.

Major projects in Qatar involving Malaysian participation include the construction of the Al Wahda Arches and Visitors’ Center in Doha worth RM269.2 million, renovation works of Khalifa Olympic Stadium (RM113 million), design and fabrication works of National Museum of Qatar (Package 2) project (approximately RM134 million), construction, completion and maintenance works of the New Headquarters for the Ministry of Interior in Doha (RM1.36 billion), and a joint venture project of Lusail Development Project in Doha (RM1.2 billion).

In 2014, total bilateral trade between Malaysia and Qatar was valued at RM3.93 billion. Malaysia’s exports to Qatar were valued at RM1.19 billion, while imports valued at RM2.74 billion. Malaysia’s major exports to Qatar were electrical and electronic products, valued at RM409.4 million, iron and steel products (RM303.1 million), machinery, appliances and parts (RM64.9 million), manufactures of metal (RM56.4 million) and wood products (RM43.0 million). Malaysia’s main imports from Qatar were crude petroleum, valued at RM1.71 billion, chemicals and chemical products (RM427.5 million), petroleum products (RM315.9 million), LNG (RM167.6 million) and manufactures of metal (RM108.2 million).

TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Realising the prospects for Malaysia's Halal sector in Hong Kong, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) spearheaded a Specialised Marketing Mission (SMM) on Halal in Conjunction with Hong Kong Food Expo (HOFEX) 2015 from 6th to 9th May 2015 at Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.

A total of 25 representatives from 12 Malaysian companies have participated under Malaysia's pavilion. Malaysian Halal products showcased during the event were biscuits, cocoa products, ready-to-eat meals, sauces and pastes, beverages, poultry and meat, plastic packaging as well as flavouring, colouring and fragrance.

According to MATRADE's Trade Commissioner in Hong Kong, Ms. Zaimah Osman, Malaysian exporters generated RM 19.52 million worth of sales from 207 pre-arranged business meetings. Among Malaysian companies participated in this event were Fikrisz (M) Sdn Bhd, , Top Fruits Sdn Bhd, Agro Jerneh Sdn Bhd and Lai Hin Trading.

Mr Mohd Fadrol Hishaini Mohd Salleh from Fikrisz (M) Sdn Bhd said, "We received a lot of enquiries during the business meeting for our Halal Premixed coffee, tea and cocoa. We managed to close a deal with an e-commerce company from Hong Kong, Macau and China during the mission." As for Ms. Iris Tan from Top Fruits Sdn Bhd she mentioned, "Demands were high for our tropical fruits and HOFEX is an excellent gateway for us to promote Malaysian frozen durian and tropical fruits to China and Hong Kong".

Another participant, Mr Abdul Mohsein from Agro Jerneh Sdn Bhd said, "With the current trend of healthy living in Hong Kong, our product, MOOLA energy bar fits the demographic in the Hong Kong market. There is a huge potential for Halal food products to enter Hong Kong and this mission has provided us the platform to meet new and existing buyers especially within the Asian region." A representative from Lai Hin Trading, a first-time participant for the event said, "Through SMM HOFEX, our company was able to negotiate deals for our products such as salted duck eggs with buyers from Hong Kong and Brunei."

Themed as "Growing Your Business", 2015 marked MATRADE's 6th participation in HOFEX. Held biennially, this event consistently brings together the players from global food and hospitality industry. HOFEX, over the years, has become a platform for participants to browse, purchase and discuss the latest trends of global food and hospitality industry in the regional and global market.

In 2014, Hong Kong was Malaysia's 15th biggest export destination of Halal products with an export value of RM639.88 million, 13.73% higher compared to year 2013 (RM562.62 million).

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia Services Exhibition (MSE), a programme initiated by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), had once again proven to be a strategic platform for Malaysian service providers to showcase their capabilities to the world. This was embodied following the recent MSE held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 11 till 14 May 2015 which resulted in sales worth RM778.66 million.

Held in conjunction with the Saudi Building and Interiors Exhibition 2015 (SBIE), MSE Jeddah saw a total of 18 Malaysian companies participated in the event. Sales recorded were from the services of architectural design, facility management services, safety & health training services, solar farm project, military scheme housing and highway projects as well as manufacturing and supplying of products such as gaskets, pipes, boilers, switches, sockets wiring accessories and ceramic tiles. The Malaysia Pavilion at MSE Jeddah 2015 was co-launched by Consul General of Malaysia in Jeddah, YBhg. Dato' Mohd Khalid Abbasi Abdul Razak and the Mayor of Jeddah, His Excellency Hani Abu Ras.

A total of 284 business meetings were pre-arranged by MATRADE during the event. In addition, business discussions and meetings were also held with companies of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industries (JCCI) and Makkah Chamber of Commerce & Industries (MCCI). Close networking with these Chambers had established and renewed Malaysian companies' existing business relationship with their members, apart from obtaining first-hand information of business opportunities from the sources particularly in the major Saudi cities of Jeddah, Makkah, Riyadh, Madinah and in the Eastern Province.

Malaysian participants received 614 trade enquiries for their services during the 4-day exhibition. SBIE 2015 was reported to attract over 300 exhibitors from 11 countries including from Italy, France, Germany, Morocco, Turkey, Egypt and China but the Malaysia Pavilion was visited by mainly Saudi companies from major cities of the Kingdom namely Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, Dammam and other Arab companies from around the region.

Total bilateral trade between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia for 2014 was valued at RM13.09 billion. Malaysia's major exports were valued at RM3.84 billion and major export items include electrical and electronic products, valued at RM696.2 million; machinery, appliances and parts (RM676.7 million); manufactures of metal (RM415.5 million); palm oil (RM346.1 million); and wood products (RM295.5 million). Malaysia's main imports from Saudi Arabia were crude petroleum, valued at RM4.53 billion, chemicals and chemical products (RM3.07 billion), petroleum products (RM1.35 billion) and manufactures of metal (RM0.19 billion).

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: Realising the importance of SMEs to be more visible and competitive, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) continue to collaborate with the world's largest business-to-business (B2B) platform, Alibaba. This collaboration is for the second consecutive year, an initiative under the eTRADE programme which was launched in June 2014.

Dato' Dzulkifli Mahmud, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of MATRADE said, "eTRADE will allow SMEs to be listed with e-commerce marketplaces at a preferred rate. A total of 20,000 SMEs are expected to take part in eTRADE programme until the year 2020, with 2,000 SMEs targeted for this year." During the event, MATRADE was represented by Dato' Dzulkifli Mahmud and Alibaba was represented by Timothy Leung, Head of Global Business Development, Alibaba.

Under the collaboration, MATRADE will issue an e-voucher worth RM2,500 to qualified SMEs which can be redeemed to pay part of the subscription fees as Alibaba Global Gold Supplier Package. eTRADE is a project under Digital Malaysia and as the lead implementing agency, MATRADE hopes that the programme could assist SMEs in increasing their export and expand their market share globally.

Among the eligibility criteria for Malaysian companies to participate in the eTRADE Programme are:

1. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs);

2. At least 60% Malaysian equity;

3. Incorporated under the Companies Act 1965;

4. Exporting made in Malaysia products and/or services;

5. Registered with MATRADE under the Malaysia Exporters Registry (MER);

6. Minimum Rating of 3 Star under SME Competitiveness Rating for Enhancement (SCORE), OR Export Ready as qualified by MATRADE's Readiness Assessment, OR Currently Exporting.

Further information on eTRADE is available on MATRADE portal www.matrade.gov.my/en/etrade. Enquiries can be forwarded by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian companies participating at the Hong Kong Trade Development Corporation’s Hong Kong Gifts and Premium Fair, held on April 27 till 30, have recorded RM34.29 million in sales – a twofold increase compared to 2014’s participation. Last year, sales generated from the trade fair were RM 10.66 million.

The event was Asia’s leading Gifts and Premium show and one of the largest in the world. The 10 participating Malaysian companies were housed under the Malaysian Pavilion, coordinated by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE). Most of the participants received strong interest from international buyers, particularly from China, ASEAN, UAE, Spain, Argentina, United States of America and Canada.

One of the participants, Mr Thomas Tham, general manager of Greenyield Industries (M) Sdn Bhd said, “The number of visitors has exceeded our expectations and the quality of contacts is good.” Another participant Mr Johan Azwan, chief executive officer of Nubex Sdn Bhd mentioned, “The buyers were of quality, relevance and were very well informed. They were specific and have a good idea of the kind of product they were sourcing for.”

Among the products showcased at the event were plastic and acrylic articles, trophies, plaques and souvenir items, art stone plant pots, various bags & travel goods, silver and gold bars & coins, bags with customised painting, gardening gloves, corporate and souvenir apparels & accessories, pewter wares and paintings for corporate gifts.

HKTDC’s Hong Kong Gifts and Premium Fair brought together over 4,200 exhibitors from more than 38 countries including 13 national pavilions. More than 13,000 trade buyers from 75 countries attended the exhibition during the four-day show.

MATRADE believes the participation of Malaysian companies at the event helps to raise the visibility of Malaysian gifts products in the international market. The involvement in the event embodies the trade promotion agency’s effort to accelerate potential of soft exports for the country.

JUMAAT, 22 MEI 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Syarikat-syarikat Malaysia yang mengambil bahagian di pameran Cenderamata dan Premium Hong Kong anjuran Hong Kong Trade Development Corporation (HKDTC) pada 27 – 30 April 2015 lalu telah mencatatkan jualan eksport sebanyak RM34.29 juta – peningkatan sebanyak dua kali ganda berbanding jualan tahun lepas iaitu sebanyak RM10.66 juta.

Pameran ini adalah salah satu pameran Cenderamata dan Premium yang terbesar di dunia. Syarikat-syarikat Malaysia yang menyertai pameran ini ditempatkan di bawah Pavilion Malaysia, yang diselaraskan oleh Perbadanan Pembangunan Perdagangan Luar Malaysia (MATRADE). Sepuluh syarikat Malaysia telah mengambil bahagian dan antara produk-produk yang dipamerkan adalah plastik dan akrilik, trofi, plak dan barangan cenderamata, periuk tumbuhan Artstone, pelbagai beg & barang perjalanan, bar perak dan emas & syiling, beg dengan lukisan khas, sarung tangan berkebun, pakaian korporat dan cenderamata & aksesori, barangan pewter, lukisan dan hadiah korporat.

Periuk Artstone, golf & beg perjalanan, kad ucapan & hadiah, syiling perak & emas, pakaian cenderamata adalah antara produk yang dipamerkan di Pavilion Malaysia. Kualiti produk buatan Malaysia ini adalah inovatif dan berjaya menarik perhatian pengunjung terutamanya dari China, ASEAN, UAE, Sepanyol, Argentina, Amerika Syarikat dan Kanada.

Pameran HKTDC Cenderamata dan Premium Hong Kong ini menarik lebih 4,200 peserta dari 38 negara dan terdapat 13 pavilion negara yang didirikan. Lebih daripada 13,000 pembeli dari 75 negara dilaporkan telah menghadiri pameran yang berlangsung selama empat hari itu.

Penyertaan syarikat-syarikat Malaysia di pameran ini dilihat sebagai inisiatif MATRADE untuk mempamerkan kebolehan syarikat tempatan khususnya dalam industri cenderamata di pasaran antarabangsa.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) led Malaysian oil & gas companies in the world’s foremost event for the development of offshore resources in the fields of drilling, exploration, production, and environmental protection; Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) 2015 from 4 – 7 May 2015, the biggest oil & gas trade exhibition in the world. The event is a platform for offshore products and services companies to conduct businesses and also to explore new technologies in the oil & gas industry.

The Malaysia Pavilion at OTC 2015 consisted of 19 manufacturers and services provider in the oil & gas sector, including some major players such as Eversendai Engineering and Muhibbah Engineering (M) Bhd. During the four-day exhibition, MATRADE arranged over 200 one-to-one business meetings for the Malaysian exhibitors.

Abu Bakar Koyakutty, the Director of Oil & Gas and Chemical Section of MATRADE said, “Despite the oil & gas industry is still in the recovery phase from the weakening oil price situation, Malaysian exhibitors had generated a remarkable amount of RM3.54 billion of potential sales due to major oil & gas companies looking for new competitive supplies.”

Abu Bakar further explained that the sales were generated mostly from the products' sector namely, seamless steel pipe, casing & tubing, premium connections, Lightning Surge Protective Device, gaskets and seals, Wellhead & X'mas Tree, mechanical seals, Chemical Injection Skid, drilling equipment, Waste Heat Recovery Unit (WHRU), aluminium and zinc anodes, and cabin modular, living quarters & technical houses.

OTC continues to bring the world to Houston. More than 94,700 attendees from 130 countries assembled at the yearly conference, signifying OTC’s position as the foremost forum to exchange ideas and opinions to advance scientific and technical knowledge for the safe, environmentally friendly and sustainable development of offshore oil & gas resources. In conjunction with the event, the Malaysia Pavilion hosted Industry Talks by speakers from the Malaysian oil & gas exhibitors and external speakers from the industry. This is in line with the objective to create greater awareness & visibility on Malaysia’s capabilities & expertise in providing world-class oil & gas services. Through this effort, Malaysian oil & gas companies that have over 30 years of experience in supplying oil & gas services and equipment to the world could serve as an alternative for project owners from around the globe to source for competitive products and services.

After fourth consecutive year of participation, MATRADE believes that OTC has created and would continue to be a good platform to offer wider opportunities for Malaysia’s oil & gas products and services in the international market. Abu Bakar added, “MATRADE will continue to promote oil & gas sector to the world market and provide a platform for export ready SME companies to tap opportunities in the oil & gas sector.”

This year, in addition to OTC, MATRADE will be organising specialised missions for the oil & gas sector to countries such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Myanmar, Kuwait, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam. With these, Malaysian oil & gas companies can make inroads into the international market by providing high quality products & services to cater to the needs of the global players.

FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: Realising the vast opportunities in the Middle East’s healthcare industry, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) will be organising a Specialised Marketing Mission on Medical Devices and Pharmaceuticals to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (in conjunction with Saudi Health Exhibition) and to Doha, Qatar. The event will be held from 17 to 20 May 2015.

Companies participating in the event will promote products such as hospital furniture, various medical and surgical disposable products and medical tubing. The mission will include one-on-one business meetings between Malaysian delegations with potential importers/ buyers, traders and distributors as well as visitations to market places and trade exhibitions.

According to one of the Malaysian participants, Foresight Industries Sdn Bhd, the objective of their participation is to seek more representatives in Saudi Arabia for their products as well as to expand their business in the Middle East region. For the Middle East market, the company focuses on marketing its IV Dressing, Wound Dressing and Bone Graft Products.

Another participant, LKL Advance Metaltech Sdn Bhd, its involvement in the mission is motivated by the company’s objective to go global and to generate business leads apart from creating brand awareness and seeking potential partnership for their brand in the Middle East.

The market for medical devices & products is one of the largest growing segments of the healthcare industry in Saudi Arabia. The sector is booming due to the government health care plan introduced in the Kingdom. The Saudi Arabia Healthcare market was worth US$28.99 billion in 2014. The future of this industry remains buoyant and is growing at a CAGR of around 15 percent until 2020. The optimistic outlook for the growth of the industry is supported by the increasing high rate of growth of the health insurance industry, which would boost the spending on medical products and devices.

Meanwhile for Qatar, the rising demand for health care combined with the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (Seha) is set to boost Qatar’s medical products’ segment. Health care spending in Qatar and across the Gulf region is projected to maintain strong growth for the foreseeable future, as populations increase and as non-communicable diseases (generally associated with more sedentary lifestyles) become more prevalent. In 2014, the Qatar healthcare market was worth at QAR18.33 billion (US$5.04 billion).

MATRADE as Malaysia’s trade promotion agency will continue to render its assistance in ensuring a continued presence as Malaysian enterprises at the regional and world’s leading events for medical devices and pharmaceuticals industry. Such an effort is to promote market immersion for Malaysian companies.

To drive exports in healthcare and medical products, MATRADE will be spearheading participation of Malaysian companies in Medical Fair Thailand 2015 from 10-12 September 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand, CPhI Worldwide 2015 in Madrid, Spain from 13-15 October 2015 - specifically for pharmaceutical products - and MEDICA 2015 in Dusseldorf, Germany from 16-19 November 2015.

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: As an initiative to drive exports of services, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is organising Malaysia Services Exhibition (MSE) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from 11 untill 14 May 2015. The event will be held in conjunction with the Saudi Building and Interiors Exhibition at Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events.

The participation is MATRADE’s second involvement in Saudi Building and Interiors Exhibition through its signature MSE platform. 18 Malaysian companies comprising established players from the construction industry, project management firms, architectural firms and suppliers of building materials as well as electrical and electronics for residential and industrial applications will be participating in this event. Malaysian services to be showcased include construction and its related services, engineering services, architectural services, project management services and landscaping works including playground design and installations.

Considered as an effort to improve market immersion among the local companies, MATRADE will be arranging business meetings between the Malaysian participants with selected Saudi enterprises and visits to members of Chambers of Commerce Jeddah. Complementing the meetings are meetings with projects’ owners and follow-up discussions between several local companies and their existing clients.

As Saudi Arabia continues with its modernisation and development of residential and commercial areas, MSE Jeddah is the avenue for Malaysian exporters to access the vibrant and lucrative construction and interior management businesses in the Kingdom. In MATRADE’s first participation in Saudi Building and Interiors Exhibition last year, a total of RM895.19 million worth of businesses were recorded for the Malaysian participants, especially in the exports of building materials and construction-related services. The Saudi construction sector should see growth returning strongly in 2015, with an estimated 10% expansion, according to Business Monitor International (BMI) in its ‘Saudi Arabia Infrastructure Report Q1 2014′. Several developmental projects with a total value of US$ 3.5 billion have been finalised for the current fiscal year. There is an abundance of opportunities for Malaysian exporters in Saudi Arabia. Jeddah Municipality has finalised 29 projects and is working on 142 projects. Nineteen projects have been approved for this year for a total of US$ 507 million. Fifteen electricity and strategic storing projects are ready to serve Jeddah residents while 33 projects are still under construction, 18 water projects are in need while 7 new projects have been approved for this year. Some 28 projects have been finalised in the environment sector, 59 still in process and 10 new approved projects for this year.

In 2014, total bilateral trade between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia was valued at RM13.09 billion. Malaysia’s exports to Saudi Arabia were recorded at RM3.84 billion and among the main exported products included electrical and electronic goods, valued at RM696.2 million; machinery, appliances and parts (RM676.7 million); manufactures of metal (RM415.5 million); palm oil (RM346.1 million) and wood products (RM295.5 million). Malaysia imported mainly crude petroleum from Saudi Arabia, which was valued at RM4.53 billion, chemicals and chemical products (RM3.07 billion), petroleum products (RM1.35 billion) and manufactures of metal (RM0.19 billion).

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is leading the participation of 23 Malaysian exhibitors to SIAL China today until May 8, 2015 at Shanghai New International Expo Centre. This year marks MATRADE‟s 9th participation in SIAL China, which theme is „Connecting Asian Markets with Energy’.

Malaysian companies participating in the exhibition include manufacturers of beverages, functional and frozen food, bakery product, food ingredients, confectionery and ready-to-eat products such as Jacker, Dailyfresh and Pacific West.

According to Mansor Shah Wahid, Trade Commissioner in MATRADE Shanghai, “SIAL China gathers players from retail, catering, food services and manufacturers from many countries. There are 2,734 exhibitors and more than 55,000 visitors from all over the world expected to attend the exhibition. The event offers a good platform to highlight the strengths and capabilities of the Malaysian food and beverage industry and expose the local players to the trends and requirements of exporting to China.”

In 2014, Malaysia exported RM1.15 billion worth of processed food to China - an increase of 3.3 per cent compared to 2013. Major exports of processed food products include edible products and preparations, cocoa and cocoa preparations as well as prepared cereals and flour. China‟s growing middle class consumers and increasing preference for imported food products generate steady demand for Malaysia‟s processed food. Held annually, SIAL China is considered the leading and fastest growing food show in Asia and has become a global brand for food players as well as distributors to converge and discuss trade opportunities.

TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: The 12th Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS 2015) which wrapped up recently recorded an impressive RM 1.1 billion in total sales. The event was part of the inaugural World Halal Summit 2015 (WHS 2015) and was jointly organised by Malaysia External Trade and Development Corporation (MATRADE) and managed by Shapers Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

RM655.8 million in sales were generated from the showcase and the remaining RM 443.2 million came from MIHAS 2015’s annual one-day Incoming Buying Mission (IBM) – a business matching session arranged between international buyers and local enterprises.

The IBM this year attracted 427 foreign buyers from 307 companies who came from 41 countries. A total of 2,787 pre-arranged business meetings were held between the international companies and 850 Malaysian exporters from 465 local companies.

MIHAS 2015, with 549 local and international exhibitors from 20 countries, attracted 23,107 trade visitors throughout the four-day trade show – an increase of 10.4 per cent from MIHAS 2014. The number of international visitors also increased significantly by 62.3 percent to 2,507 while local visitors grew by 6.3 percent to 20,600.

The outcomes of the event are:

ï‚· The food and beverage sector continued to dominate the event with the processed food and ready to eat products cluster recorded the highest sales at RM135.09 million, followed closely by the frozen food category with RM116.56 million.

ï‚· The healthcare, pharmaceuticals and Halal non-food products have emerged as a promising new sector in the Halal industry, with sales reaching RM111.74 million

ï‚· Amongst the highest number of international exhibitors showcasing their goods and services were Thailand, Indonesia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, China and Taiwan.

The strong sales affirm the trade fair’s position as a platform that stimulates business interest among local and international companies as well as an avenue to promote a wide range of Halal products and services.

Dato’ Dzulkifli Mahmud, Deputy CEO of MATRADE said, “MATRADE, as Malaysia’s trade promotion agency will continue to promote Halal and its products and services to markets abroad. We are working closely with our partner countries including those in ASEAN, Europe, Africa, Korea and Japan to provide more information about the importance and benefits of using Halal products and services. I believe this event gave an excellent positive overview of Malaysia’s Halal industry.”

Other than MIHAS 2015, WHS 2015 was complemented by a range of conferences among which were the Certifiers Forum, Academics Forum, Scholars Forum and Business Forum. WHS 2015 was indeed an insightful and highly constructive platform, with 82 speakers and panellists from 18 countries congregated to discuss topics of real concern, showcase new research and encourage innovation in the Halal industry as well as to highlight more opportunities in the industry.

The topics chosen were timely and hit the right note in finding an ideal narrative for the ecosystem’s next phase of growth. The discussion has evolved from just Halal issues and standards to other wider areas including global regulatory frameworks, new research topics, risk management, innovative crowdfunding options, e-commerce as well as digital marketing skills for the Halal industry.

Held from 30th March till 4thApril 2015 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia, WHS 2015 was hosted Ministry of International Trade and Industry and was jointly organised by MATRADE, the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) and Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC).WHS 2015’s partners include International Islamic University of Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi MARA.

TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is spearheading the participation of 19 Malaysian oil & gas companies at Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) 2015 in Houston, Texas which started yesterday and will end on 7 May 2015. The event will see MATRADE collaborating with Malaysia Petroleum Resources Corporation (MPRC) to promote Malaysia’s oil & gas industry at the Malaysia Pavilion.

MATRADE has scheduled 124 one-on-one business meetings between participating Malaysian companies and major oil & gas players attending OTC such as BP America Production Company and FMC Technologies. What’s special this year, Malaysia will be hosting Industry Talks at the Malaysia Pavilion in conjunction with the 4-day event. Themed as “Connect, Partner & Grow”, the speakers comprise Malaysian exhibitors and industry experts.

Products to be showcased by Malaysian companies include cabin modular for offshore & onshore including living quarters & technical houses, aluminium and zinc anodes, Waste Heat Recovery Unit (WHRU), rubber hose, custom made hoses, rubber expansion joint and rubber moulded product for oil & gas industry, Intelligent Circulation While Drilling (iCwd), Chemical Injection Skid (CIS), mechanical seals, wellhead & Christmas Tree, Lightning Surge Protective Device, gaskets and seals, seamless steel pipe, casing & tubing as well as premium connections.

Malaysian companies will also be highlighting their services’ offerings such as advanced process solutions for the oil & gas processing industry, consultancy, human resource supply, and training services for oil & gas exploration services, oil & gas logistics solutions, engineering inspection, Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) and certification services, Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) services, and integrated oil & gas services as well as solutions.

One of the participants, Ir. Azhar Zainal Abidin from ProEight Sdn Bhd said, "Programmes such as this will provide greater opportunities for us to achieve RM1 Billion Revenue Company status targeted in the next five years, achieved through exponential growth.” Another participant, Mr Faisal Siebel from Asian Offshore Services Sdn Bhd (AOS) said, “AOS’s growth rate has increased by more than 20% year-on-year since we started working with MATRADE and we expect greater export penetration through participation in MATRADE’s future trade promotional programmes.”

Through OTC, MATRADE aims to create greater awareness and visibility on Malaysia’s capabilities and expertise in providing world-class oil & gas services. The Malaysian oil & gas companies are also expected to use OTC as a launching pad to expand their business not only in North America, but also in Latin America, Canada, Africa, and Middle East.

Malaysian companies are urged to register with MATRADE to improve their chances of penetrating into markets abroad. MATRADE renders assistance to exporters and exporters-to-be through its trade promotion programmes and various consultations. Visit www.matrade.gov.my for more details.

THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR : The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) will be coordinating the participation of Malaysian exporters at the 117th Canton Fair, Phase 3 (Spring Session) from May 1st – 5th 2015 at Pazhou Complex in Guangzhou, China. This is Malaysia’s 8th participation in the event.

A total of 38 Malaysian companies will be showcasing their products ranging from food items, healthcare products and household items. To date, MATRADE has arranged more than 200 one-on-one business meetings between Malaysian exhibitors and Chinese importers at Hall 10.2, Malaysia Pavilion.

MATRADE has identified Canton Fair as a strategic platform for Malaysian SMEs to promote and brand Malaysian products for the China and overseas markets. Since 2010 Autumn Session, this fair has attracted more than 1.7 million buyers from different provinces in China as well as from overseas. In 2014 Spring Session, the fair attracted a total of 186,104 buyers from 211 countries or regions.

Trade with China has expanded 42% from RM146.53 billion to RM207.85 billion. Malaysia exporters should leverage on the strong presence of importers from China and overseas at the event and further expand their market reach by connecting with them at Canton Fair.

Malaysian companies interested to expand into the exports market can reach out to MATRADE for assistance. For more details visit www.matrade.gov.my or contact Ms. Wong Pooi Kuan at 03-62077104 or email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is set to push Malaysian aerospace industry, particularly in the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) sector, to greater heights with the opening of the Kuala Lumpur International Aerospace Business Convention 2015 (KLIABC 2015). The three-day event kicked off today till 29 April 2015 at Menara MATRADE, Kuala Lumpur.

KLIABC 2015 aims to showcase the capabilities of Malaysian companies in the aerospace sector to international players. Jointly organised by MATRADE and French-based ABE Aerospace France, this event will open up business opportunities for local companies to collaborate with international brands seeking outsourcing partners in South East Asia, in the MRO, engineering & design services, aerospace parts & components manufacturing as well as systems integration & maintenance.

The main highlight of KLIABC 2015 is a one-day aerospace conference on 27 April and pre-arranged Business to Business (B2B) match making session on 28 and 29 April 2015. A total of 145 organisations from 24 countries ranging from airlines, aircraft manufacturers, engine makers, airlines, suppliers and principals have registered for both the conference and B2B session.

19 presentations from prominent local and international speakers will be featured during the conference, covering various topics among which include the aerospace value chain and the future of the industry. The conference is divided into three main parts — ‘Overview of Malaysia’s Aerospace Industry: Opportunities for Growth’, ‘Airlines Strategic Challenges in South East Asia: Reducing Cost & Maximising Efficiency’ and ‘Aerospace and Growing MRO Market: Strategic Partnership and Cooperation with International Players’. Among the participating companies in the conference are; Malaysia Airlines, Strand Aerospace Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Lufthansa Airlines, AIRBUS, Bae System, Safran, GMF and Rolls-Royce, among many others.

In addition, the B2B match making sessions, will be a springboard for Malaysian companies, especially SMEs to venture into the global market, through meetings with key players in the aerospace industry and to discuss business prospects.

Malaysia’s total exports of aerospace related products in 2014, increased by 15.7 per cent to USD879 million (RM2.9 billion), mainly contributed by aircraft parts and components, aircraft propellers and rotor and air combat simulators. The main export markets were United Kingdom, Singapore, United States of America, Japan and Thailand.

KLIABC 2015 provides an ideal platform for industry players to converge and discuss on how industry needs can be fulfilled effectively. With the Government’s recently introduced National Aerospace Blueprint 2030, Malaysia is set to be a major player in the Aerospace sector in the Asia-Pacific region by capturing new markets and upgrade the industry.

FRIDAY, 24 APRIL, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) would like to alert Malaysian companies exporting plant-related products to Vietnam of a new regulation on plant quarantine, announced recently by the Vietnamese government. In the regulation, all exports of plant-related products to Vietnam must undergo pest risk analysis and Malaysian exporters are urged to submit their details and products to the Plant Protection Department (PPD) of Vietnam before 31 July 2015.

Among the items affected by the ruling are vegetation, plant products, various types of mushrooms, Cocoons, silk wastes & lac, fresh bulbs & fruits and many more. Inspection shall be carried out upon the request of the exporting countries and is based on the International Agreements of which Vietnam is the signatory. However, plant varieties and beneficial organisms that serve the purpose of scientific research are not required to undergo the pest risk analyses.

According to MATRADE’s Trade Commissioner in Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Faizal Izany Mastor, “Malaysian companies that are exporting commodities in the list of plant quarantine articles subject to the pest risk analysis are advised to do some research on the prerequisite before exporting to Vietnam to avoid any unnecessary processing delays”.

In 2014, export of fruits and vegetables from Malaysia was valued at RM9.54 million from RM5.73 million in 2013. Export of fruits and vegetables expanded by 66 per cent in 2014 compared to 2013, mainly because of higher demand due to increase in purchasing power among Vietnamese.

For more details on the new regulation, please email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Malaysian companies wishing to embark on online export can participate in MATRADE’s eTrade programme. Log on to www.matrade.gov.my for more info.

JUMAAT, 24 APRIL 2015, KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) ingin memaklumkan kepada syarikat-syarikat Malaysia yang mengeksport produk tumbuhan akan regulasi baru yang diperkenal kerajaan Vietnam baru-baru ini. Dalam regulasi ini semua produk berkaitan tumbuhan yang dieksport ke Vietnam perlu menjalani analisis risiko perosak. Justeru, pengeksport Malaysia digesa untuk mengemukakan maklumat dan produk mereka kepada Jabatan Perlindungan Tumbuhan (PPD) Vietnam secepat mungkin sebelum 31 Julai 2015.

Antara barangan yang terlibat dalam regulasi tersebut adalah tumbuh-tumbuhan , produk tumbuhan , pelbagai jenis cendawan , kokon , sisa sutera & lac , mentol segar & buah-buahan dan banyak lagi. Pemeriksaan hendaklah dijalankan atas permintaan daripada negara-negara pengeksport dan adalah berdasarkan Perjanjian Antarabangsa yang mana Vietnam merupakan penandatangan.Walau bagaimanapun, jenis tumbuhan dan organisma berfaedah yang digunakan untuk tujuan penyelidikan saintifik tidak perlu menjalani analisis risiko perosak.

Menurut Pesuruhjaya Perdagangan MATRADE di Ho Chi Minh , Encik Faizal Izany Mastor , "Syarikat-syarikat Malaysia yang mengeksport komoditi dalam senarai artikel tumbuhan kuarantin tertakluk kepada analisis risiko perosak dinasihatkan untuk melakukan beberapa penyelidikan tentang pra-syarat sebelum mengeksport ke Vietnam untuk mengelakkan sebarang kelewatan pemprosesan" .

Pada tahun 2014 , jumlah eksport Malaysia termasuk buah-buahan dan sayur-sayuran ke Vietnam bernilai RM9.54 juta berbanding RM5.73 juta pada tahun 2013. Eksport buah-buahan dan sayur-sayuran berkembang sebanyak 66 peratus pada tahun 2014 berbanding pada tahun 2013, ini disebabkan permintaan yang tinggi dalam peningakatan kuasa membeli diantara warga Vietnam.

Untuk maklumat lanjut mengenai regulasi baru tersebut anda boleh menghantar e-mel kepada This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Syarikat Malaysia yang ingin mengeksport secara dalam talian (online), boleh mengambil bahagian dalam program eTrade, layari www.matrade.gov.my untuk maklumat lanjut.

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian companies exporting to the Philippines can soon enjoy swifter export transaction following the introduction of the ‘single reference list of all regulated imported products’ by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Philippines this April 20. The list was introduced to ease any import/export transactions and at the same time protects both importers and exporters.

According to MATRADE’s Trade Commissioner in Manila, Nyaee Anak Ayup, “All products must have the required permits from all the regulating agencies in the Philippines before entering the market. To avoid delay in customs clearance, it is vital for Malaysian companies to refer to the list. Currently, there are more than 1,600 Malaysian companies exporting into the Philippines.” she said.

The list contains information of over 7,400 regulated products ranging from basic commodities such as rice and sugar to vehicles, iron and steel products as well as oil and electronic goods. The list will be regularly updated and will be the basis for clearance to enter into the Philippines. Details on the list are available at BOC’s website, www.customs.gov.ph .

In relation to this, Nyaee also advised Malaysian food and dietary supplements’ manufacturers exporting to the Philippines to avoid from using the phrase “No Approved Therapeutic Claim” in all of its advertisements, promotional or sponsorship activities or materials.

The directive is in line with move by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Philippines to ensure the safety, efficacy or quality of health products as defined by Republic Act No. 97111, which include food, drugs, cosmetics, devices, biological, vaccines, in-vitro diagnostic reagents, radiation-emitting devices or equipment, and household/urban hazardous substances, including pesticides and toys, or consumer products that may have an effect on health and require regulations as determined by the FDA.

For more details on the export-related regulations imposed by Malaysia’s trading partners, visit www.matrade.gov.my or register as a MATRADE member today to receive the latest export markets’ alerts. Register in our eTrade programme to start exporting online.a

KHAMIS, APRIL 16, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: Syarikat tempatan yang mengeksport ke Filipina akan menikmati urus niaga eksport yang lebih cepat dan telus apabila senarai rujukan tunggal untuk produk yang diimport oleh Biro Kastam (BOC) Filipina diperkenal pada 20 April 2015. Senarai ini diperkenalkan oleh BOC untuk memudahkan transaksi import dan eksport dan pada masa yang sama melindungi kedua-dua pengimport dan pengeksport.

Menurut Pesuruhjaya Perdagangan MATRADE di Manila, Nyaee Anak Ayup, "Produk yang dieksport mesti mempunyai permit yang diperlukan daripada semua agensi yang relevan di Filipina sebelum dibenarkan memasuki pasaran. Adalah penting untuk syarikat Malaysia merujuk kepada senarai ini untuk mengelak daripada kelewatan pelepasan kastam. Pada masa ini, terdapat lebih daripada 1,600 syarikat Malaysia yang mengeksport ke Filipina,” katanya.

Senarai ini mengandungi maklumat lebih 7,400 produk terkawal dari komoditi asas seperti beras dan gula, kenderaan, besi dan keluli serta minyak dan barangan elektronik. Senarai ini akan sentiasa dikemaskini dan akan menjadi asas bagi pelepasan untuk memasuki Filipina. Butiran dalam senarai itu boleh didapati di laman web BOC, www.customs.gov.ph .

Nyaee juga menasihatkan syarikat pengeluar makanan Malaysia yang mengeksport ke Filipina untuk mengelakkan daripada menggunakan ungkapan “No Approved Therapeutic Claim” (Tanpa Tuntutan terapeutik yang diluluskan) dalam semua iklan, bahan promosi atau penajaan barangan mereka.

Arahan ini adalah selaras dengan langkah Pentadbiran Makanan dan Ubat-Ubatan (FDA) Filipina dalam memastikan keselamatan, keberkesanan dan kualiti produk kesihatan seperti yang ditakrifkan oleh Akta Republik No. 97111 terpelihara. Arahan ini melibatkan barangan makanan, ubat-ubatan, kosmetik, peralatan biologi, vaksin, agen in-vitro diagnostik, radiasi pemancar peranti, racun perosak dan mainan, atau produk pengguna yang mungkin mempunyai kesan ke atas kesihatan dan memerlukan pematuhan khas terhadap peraturan-peraturan yang ditetapkan oleh FDA.

Untuk maklumat lanjut mengenai peraturan berkaitan eksport yang dikenakan oleh rakan dagangan Malaysia, layari www.matrade.gov.my atau berdaftarlah sebagai ahli MATRADE hari ini. Daftar dalam projek eTrade untuk mengeksport secara online.

MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: After Toulouse, Beijing, Mexico, Seattle and Montreal, the next phase of the aerospace convention, Aerospace Business Convention will be organised in Kuala Lumpur from 27th till 29th April 2015. The event called Kuala Lumpur International Aerospace Business Convention 2015 (KLIABC 2015) will take place at MATRADE Exhibition and Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Over 150 international companies ranging from airlines, aircraft manufacturers, engine makers, airlines, suppliers and principals from all around the globe are expected to attend the event. The main highlight of KLIABC 2015 will be a one-day high level aerospace conference and two-day pre-arranged B2B meetings. These instalments in the convention are aimed at bringing together industry professionals, airline operators, decision makers from aircraft manufacturers, OEM’s, Tier 1 and from Tier 2 companies as well as suppliers. Among the companies participating in the conference are; Malaysia Airlines, Air Asia, Strand Aerospace Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Lufthansa Airlines, AIRBUS, Bae System, Safran, GMF, Rolls-Royce, Eaton, Aernnova and Honeywell, among many others.

The event aims to showcase the capabilities of Malaysian companies in the aerospace sector to international industry players. It provides business opportunities for local companies to collaborate with international brands seeking outsourcing partners in South East Asia, in the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO), engineering & design services, aerospace parts & components manufacturing as well as systems integration & maintenance.

Organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) KLIABC 2015 is an excellent cost-effective avenue for Malaysian companies, especially the SMEs, to network with potential trade partners and to penetrate into the international market.

Interested companies are urged to register in KLIABC 2015 before 10 April 2015 to secure a slot in the B2B meetings with the participating international buyers. Details of the event are available at www.matrade.gov.my and www.bciaerospace.com/malaysia.

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) for the fourth consecutive years had organised the participation of Malaysian companies at the Indonesia International Auto Parts, Accessories and Equip Exhibition 2015 (INAPA). The participation held in March at JIExpo Kemayoran, Jakarta involved 12 Malaysian companies and generated sales of RM75.20 million as compared to last year’s participation.

Among the products of interest were automotive suspension system, anti-vibration system, lubricants, engine mountings, rubber bushings, compressors, aluminium die casting products and sealants.

According to the companies that participated, “INAPA served as a good market assessment platform for Malaysian companies in promoting their auto parts and components to Indonesia, besides understanding the local market demand and buying behaviors. The Indonesian automotive industry is still the major market in ASEAN with car sales in Indonesia expected to grow between five and ten percent.”

INAPA is the largest automotive parts and accessories trade fair in Indonesia. Its latest showcase featured 11 country pavilions from countries like China, Korea, Taiwan, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Japan and Turkey. There are more than 1,100 companies from 35 countries participated in the show.

In 2014, export of transport equipment was valued at RM10.58 billion. The major transport equipment’s automotive products to Indonesia were motor vehicles of 1000 cc - 1500 cc as well as parts including steering wheels, steering columns and steering boxes. Indonesia was also Malaysia’s 7th largest trading partner and Malaysia’s 9th export destination in 2014 with total bilateral trade valued at RM59.48 billion and exports RM31.76 billion.

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and world’s leading supplier of technology, integrated project management and information solutions in the oil and gas industry, Schlumberger, are collaborating to organise an event called "Global Sourcing Programme: Business Opportunities with Schlumberger”. The event is set to take place on 8 April 2015 at MATRADE Hall, Menara MATRADE, Kuala Lumpur.

The event will feature a series of presentation by experts on the opportunities in Schlumberger. The topics to be presented are;

• Chemical, Logistic and Indirect Categories;

• Surface Equipment & Services and Drilling & Evaluation;

• Asia Procurement Hub; and

• Brunei-Malaysia-Philippines (BMP) Third Party Purchase.

Apart from the presentation, there will also be a half-day Individual Business Meetings (IBM) on the day between selected Malaysian companies and the representatives from Schlumberger. The business meetings are aimed at creating a platform for local companies to showcase their products or services to the Schlumberger’s technical team.

Malaysian companies focusing on Chemicals and Logistics (C&L), Drilling & Evaluation (D&E), Surface Equipment and Service (SES) and Indirect (Employee relocation, Engineering & Construction, IT hardware/Software, Telecom services, Staffing, Travel agency and others) are urged to take part in the IBM.

The programme’s objectives are to create awareness among Malaysian companies (especially those producing oil & gas services and equipment) on the procurement and sourcing process as well as to share the success stories of Malaysian companies that have succeeded in Global Sourcing.

This sourcing-based programme is a good avenue for Malaysian companies to promote their products and services directly to a Multinational company such as Schlumberger and to be part of its global supply chain. Such a programme will also offers Schlumberger an opportunity to scout for more competitive products and services from Malaysia that has been supplying oil, gas services and equipment to the world for over three decades.

Interested Malaysian companies can contact Mr. Khairul Hakimi (03-6207 7682) or Ms. Norzulaila Mohd Dzafri (03-6207 7144) to participate in the event

FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian companies looking to expand their businesses overseas are urged to participate in the Incoming Buying Mission (IBM) to be held in conjunction with Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2015. The event, scheduled for 31 March 2015, will take place at Level 1, Menara MATRADE, Kuala Lumpur from 10.00am to 5.00pm.

The IBM will be held a day prior to the opening of MIHAS trade fair on 1 April 2015. The trade fair will take place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) and will end on 4 April 2015.

IBM MIHAS provides a rare opportunity for Malaysian companies to participate in a one-to-one business matching session with international buyers. More than 300 companies from 42 countries will participate in this one-day event. Among the participating countries are China, Algeria, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Korea, Japan, Qatar, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The international buyers attending the matching session are mainly looking to source for food products among which include juices, cordials, poultry, seafood, fruits & nuts, bakery products, jam, jelly, puddings, spices & condiments, processed vegetables and fruits. However, Malaysian suppliers of food packaging & containers, herbal & traditional products as well as toiletries should also participate in this event.

In 2014, MIHAS has successfully generated USD291.4 million of total sales, of which USD143.9 million were from the IBM. The top three nations that have made the most contribution through 2014’s IBM were China, South Korea and Japan.

To register as participant for IBM MIHAS, please e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information on MIHAS log on to www.halal.com.my or www.matrade.gov.my.

TUESDAY, MARCH 17, KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 12 Malaysian companies producing automotive products are set to take centre stage at the 7th Indonesia International Auto Parts, Accessories and Equipment Exhibition (INAPA) 2015 this 18 to 21 March at JIExpo Kemayoran in Jakarta.

A venture made possible by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), among the products to be promoted at the event include air cond compressor, engine components, metal and rubber parts, absorbers, lighting fixtures brake and clutch systems and automotive lubricants as well as suspension parts.

To fully utilise INAPA’s platform in marketing Made-In-Malaysia automotive products to international buyers, MATRADE has arranged more than 150 business meetings for the Malaysian companies participating in the four-day event with 230 potential business partners, who congregated from all around the region.

INAPA is recognised as one of the largest international exhibitions for automotive industry in ASEAN and has served as an international trade fair for automotive parts, accessories, equipment and services. It is a sourcing platform to attract potential buyers from the whole of automobile industry’s chain ranging from car manufacturers, distributors and repair workshops, to car care service centre.

This year will be the fourth participation by MATRADE in INAPA since 2012. In 2014, sales of RM 70.94 million were recorded by Malaysian companies participated in INAPA under the Malaysian Pavilion. Last year, INAPA has attracted over 980 exhibitors from 25 countries, eight international pavilions and 24,100 trade visitors from 41 countries. It is organised strategically in Indonesia as Indonesia is among the world’s largest consumers in motor vehicles after China and India.

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Anticipation is running high with the formation of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) set to take full shape by the end of this year. Realising the importance for Malaysian exporters to keep abreast with the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead of the AEC, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) has taken the initiative to organise ASEAN Business Forum 2015 at Menara MATRADE in Kuala Lumpur.

The event which commenced today is themed as‘Enhancing Business Opportunities in ASEAN’. The eventwas attended by over 1,000 participants from all over the country and was officiated by YB Dato’ Sri MustapaMohamed, the Minister of International Trade and Industry.

ASEAN Business Forum 2015 is part of the Government’s initiative to build more awareness on the opportunities within ASEAN and it also serves as a platform for the business community to exchange views on new approaches to deepen the linkages for intra-ASEAN trade.

The forum comprised two panel discussions led by themembers of the Malaysian Business Councils from ASEAN member countries. The discussions gave participants an insight on ASEAN’s market needs and prospects.

Complementing the panel discussions were briefings and consultation sessions held throughout the day where participants were updated on the AEC’s business potentials, challenges as well as the services provided by MATRADE for Malaysian exporters.

With a population of more than 620 million in ASEAN, the realisation of AEC will create a single market and production base for the region. As the Chair of ASEAN, Malaysia plays a key role in driving the business trade and investment within the region.

ASEAN continues to be Malaysia’s major market, driven by improved economic and investment policies, growing middle income group as well as development plans and reformed activities by respective markets.

In 2014, Malaysia’s trade with ASEAN reached RM3.89 billion, accounting for 26.8 percent share of the country’s total trade - reflecting the region’s importance as a key market for Malaysia’s products and services. Exports to ASEAN last year increased by 6 percent to RM213.56 billion, contributing to 27.91 percent of Malaysia’s total export. The top-3 ASEAN markets for Malaysia last year were Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia with each recording 51 percent, 19 percent and 15 percent of Malaysia’s total export share, respectively.

MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian companies keen to leverage on the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) are strongly urged to take part in ASEAN Business Forum 2015 (ABF 2015), scheduled for 12 March 2015 at Menara MATRADE, Kuala Lumpur.

ABF 2015 is an initiative by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). The forum offers high-powered talks and consultation sessions that will be divided into two sessions.

The morning session will feature panelists from ASEAN business councils and associations where participants can expect discussions on market entry and its challenges, sectors’ growth as well as trade prospects in the region. The panelists include Mr Edward Ling, President of Malaysian Association of the Philippines; Mr Yeap Swee Chuan, Chairman of Malaysia-Thailand Chamber of Commerce and Mr Teh Sing, President of Malaysian Business Council Cambodia, just to name a few.

The afternoon session will be focusing on a smaller group of exporters where participants get to learn about various topics such as MATRADE’s 2015 programmes and new services, as well as the Updates on AEC. There will also be a talk by Mr Syed Nabil Aljefri, the Secretary General of ASEAN-Business Advisory Council (BAC) on Business Opportunities in ASEAN and market briefings by MATRADE’s Trade Commissioners based in ASEAN countries.

ABF 2015 aims to enhance export knowledge among local exporters especially with the realization of the AEC. The AEC is viewed as an enabler to deepen linkages among the ASEAN nations. With the enhanced linkages, intra-ASEAN trade will be accelerated, thus benefiting the exporters.

In 2014, Malaysia’s trade with ASEAN accounted for 26.8%, valued at RM389.03 billion, with an increase of 3.9% from 2013, indicating the region’s importance as a key market for Malaysia’s products and services.

MATRADE as the national trade promotion agency under MITI is committed to facilitate the success of Malaysian exporters, especially for the Small and Medium Enterprises, through its programmes. Malaysian exporters, new or experienced, should seize the opportunity to attend the ABF 2015 and gain more knowledge to grow their presence in ASEAN.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: Strong demand of Malaysian food products in Japan serves as a motivating factor for Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) to continue participating in FOODEX 2015 trade fair in Chiba, Japan scheduled on 3 – 6 March 2015. This year marks MATRADE’s 13th participation in the event.

MATRADE’s national pavilion at FOODEX 2015 will showcase 24 Malaysian exporters from a wide range of food products and beverages. These exhibitors are using this platform to capitalise on the abundance of opportunities offered by the Japanese market particularly for health related products. Japan’s health food market, which includes food, beverages and supplements, has a market size of RM 65.7 billion (USD 18.2 billion) reflecting consumers’ interest in healthy lifestyle. With the upcoming Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) to be held this April, MATRADE also will be leveraging on FOODEX 2015 to promote MIHAS to Japanese and international buyers.

Known as one of the largest annual food and beverages trade shows in the Asia-Pacific Region, FOODEX 2015 is an ideal exhibition for Malaysian companies not only to promote their ‘Made in Malaysia’ products but also to increase market visibility in East Asia and the international market. MATRADE has also taken the initiative to arrange a total of 634 business meetings for Malaysian companies with potential importers during the four-day event.

Malaysia’s exports of processed foodstuff to Japan showed an increase 32.7 percent from RM467.4 million in 2013 to RM620.3 million in 2014. Japan’s food sector is estimated to be worth RM736 billion (USD225 billion) in which 60 percent are imported.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian companies in the construction sector, may stand a good chance to be involved in the Myanmar’s government’s flyovers project slated for development later this year.

The Yangon Regional Government will issue tenders for the construction of flyovers at three locations in Yangon - 8 mile, Tamwe and Kokkine junctions. The total budget for the 54-kilometre long flyovers is close to USD55 million, of which USD22.5 million is allocated for the Tamwe junction, USD16.5 million for the 8 mile junction and the remaining USD15.5 million for the Kokkine junction.

The regional government reportedly plans to hold an open tender at the end of March this year while the construction is expected to take place in the 2015-2016 fiscal year (which begins in April). The call for bids will be announced through Myanmar’s state-owned newspapers at the end of the 2014 - 2015 budget year.

Since 2011, the city authorities in Myanmar have been ramping up the developments of flyovers to alleviate the worsening traffic conditions in Yangon, which is Myanmar’s major commercial hub. This was due to vehicles’ influx into Myanmar following the revised automobile import policy in 2011. To date, nearly 400,000 mixed-use vehicles and 235,000 taxis have been imported. According to the Myanmar’s Ministry of Commerce statistics, about 80 per cent of these imported vehicles are being driven in the Yangon region.

MATRADE office in Yangon will provide updates on the developments of the tender and will disseminate the information to relevant Malaysian companies. MATRADE will also be organising a specialised marketing mission on construction services to Myanmar from 16-20 March 2015. Henceforth, Malaysian companies are urged to participate in this programme where meetings with the Ministry of Construction, project owners and relevant stakeholders in the construction industry will be arranged.

For more details, visit www.matrade.gov.my or register as a MATRADE member to enjoy regular updates on export opportunities around the world.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2015 Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian exhibitors at the recently concluded Arab Health 2015 exhibition returned home with strong total export sales of RM591.35 million from their participation in the well-known fair. The 2015 edition of the show, held from 26-29 January 2015 in Dubai, UAE saw the participation of 14 Malaysian companies under the Malaysia’s Pavilion managed by MATRADE.

Among the Malaysian products sourced by buyers at the show were hospital beds and furniture, cardiology pack, cardiothoracic, surgical sutures, hydrocyanic, implant, foley catheters, endotracheal tube, blood transfusion sets, intravenous solution, mobile medicine, stem cell treatment and male circumcision clamp as well as air guard, hand sanitizer, body lotion, skincare products, latex examination and surgical gloves.

Amar Kaur, Director of Vigilenz Medical Devices Sdn Bhd that manufactured sutures and hernia mesh said, “The visitors came from all over the region… even though the price was very competitive we found it to be one of the best fairs to market our products. We have been there for the last 12 years and will continue to participate in the event.” Sharing the sentiment was Dato’ Dr Haminnuddin Hj Abd Hamid, Chief Executive Officer of Ideal Healthcare Sdn Bhd who produced endotracheal tube, urology catheters and other medical disposable products. “A lot of the visitors were impressed with the high standards of Malaysian medical products featured at the event,” he said.

Arab Health 2015 is the Middle East’s largest healthcare event attracted over 3,900 exhibitors from 63 countries. More than 80,000 buyers and healthcare professionals attended the exhibition and there were also conferences during the four-day show.

Held against a backdrop of rapidly growing Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) healthcare market and record budget allocations for healthcare spending by the governments in the region, the show provides an excellent platform for Malaysian health products exporters to enter the GCC market as well as the surrounding regions. Despite the global economic slowdown, the healthcare market in the region is estimated to be worth US$82 billion. By 2025, the Middle East is expected to spend over US$123 billion on new healthcare facilities.

MATRADE and the industry players will continue to work together to ensure Malaysia’s continued presence at the world’s leading events for medical devices and pharmaceuticals products. Other events MATRADE will partake in to promote the Malaysian healthcare products include the International Medical Fair in Thailand from (10-12 September 2015), CPhI Worldwide 2015 in Paris (13-15 October 2015) and MEDICA Dusseldorf in Germany (16-19 November 2015). Interested Malaysian companies may contact MATRADE to participate in any of these events.

Find out more about MATRADE’s latest programmes for Malaysian exporters such as the eTrade programme on www.matrade.gov.my or download the Trade2Media mobile app (for android).

A. PERFORMANCE IN 2014

Supported by stronger than expected export growth, Malaysia’s total trade in 2014 continued on an upward trend, expanding by 5.9% to reach RM1.45 trillion, compared with RM1.37 trillion in 2013.

Major trading partners that contributed to the growth in trade were:
i. ASEAN, growing by RM14.54 billion or 3.9%;
ii. the European Union (EU), RM8.35 billion or ↑6.2%;
iii. the United States of America (USA), RM8.01 billion or ↑7.4%;
iv. Australia, RM7.48 billion or ↑16.4%;
v. Hong Kong, RM6.05 billion or ↑14.5%;
vi. Taiwan, RM5.94 billion or ↑11.2%; and
vii. the People’s Republic of China (PRC), RM4.54 billion or ↑2.2%.

Exports in 2014 rose by 6.4% or RM46.14 billion to RM766.13 billion, surpassing the forecast export growth of 6% in the 2014/2015 Economic Report.

Imports increased by 5.3% or RM34.32 billion to RM683.02 billion. The growth impetus of exports had resulted in a trade surplus of RM83.11 billion, representing Malaysia’s achievement of 17th consecutive years of trade surplus. The trade surplus in 2014 registered a double-digit growth of 16.6%, a remarkable achievement compared with negative growth in 2012 (-22.8%) and 2013 (-25.7%).

Major contributors to this performance included:-

• Strong uptake by almost all ASEAN countries;

• Expansion in exports spurred by higher demand for manufactured products, in particular electrical and electronic (E&E) products, and steady demand for commodities;

• Recovery in key markets such as the USA and Japan;

• With the exception of commodities export such as palm oil and rubber, other exports to the PRC continued to be sustained. Higher export were recorded for E&E products (↑RM2.81 billion), petroleum products (↑RM685.2 million), transport equipment (↑RM242.6 million) and optical and scientific equipment (↑RM299.5 million);

• Greater demand from emerging markets such as countries in Africa, Central Asia and South Asia; and

• Supporting manufactured exports which made up 76.7% of total exports, imports of intermediate goods increased by 7.6%.

16 markets which registered higher exports of over RM1 billion were Singapore, the USA, India, Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, the Netherlands, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Kenya, Germany, Norway, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Vietnam. These countries accounted for 64.7% of Malaysia’s total exports.

Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Countries

Trade with the FTA partner countries registered a growth of 3.9% to RM906.6 billion with exports expanding 4.7% to RM491.35 billion and imports growing at 2.9% to RM415.25 billion. Expansion in exports to the FTA partner countries were contributed by higher exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, E&E products, crude petroleum as well as chemicals. FTA countries contributed 64.1% of Malaysia’s total exports in 2014. It is estimated that close to 49% of exports to FTA partner countries were through preferential access.

ASEAN – Almost All Markets Recorded Export Growth

ASEAN remained as an important and strategic trading partner for Malaysia, accounting for 26.8% of Malaysia’s total trade in 2014, valued at RM389.03 billion with an increase of 3.9% from 2013. Exports to ASEAN increased by 5.9% to RM213.58 billion, driven by improved economic and investment conditions, growing middle income group as well as development and reform initiatives carried out by ASEAN member economies. It is important to note that growing cross border investments had strengthen industry linkages and intercompany transactions and this in turn has had positive impact on intra ASEAN trade.

In 2014, exports to all ASEAN markets registered increases except for Indonesia. Exports to Indonesia declined by 4.1% or RM1.35 billion due mainly to lower exports of refined petroleum which declined by RM1.15 billion.

Increase in exports to ASEAN was contributed mainly by higher exports of petroleum products, crude petroleum, chemicals, palm oil (crude palm oil; fractionated palm oil; and palm kernel oil, olein and stearin), optical and scientific equipment as well as E&E products.

Imports from ASEAN increased by 1.5% to RM175.45 billion. Main imports from ASEAN were petroleum products, E&E products as well as chemicals.

The PRC – Malaysia’s Largest Trading Partner For 6 Successive Years

The PRC remained as Malaysia’s largest trading partner for the sixth consecutive year since 2009. Malaysia’s trade with the PRC increased by 2.2% to RM207.85 billion.

Exports of E&E products to the PRC were up by 7% or RM2.81 billion to RM43.08 billion due mainly to the country being a major manufacturing destination for smartphones and handheld devices. Share of E&E exports to the PRC expanded from 41.5% to 46.6% in 2014. Export of E&E products mainly electronic integrated circuits, petroleum products as well as optical and scientific equipment, primarily oscilloscopes and oscillographs and other instruments and apparatus specially designed for telecommunications recorded increases.

However, slowdown in manufacturing activities in the PRC caused other exports to decline such as manufactures of metal and crude natural rubber. Palm oil exports reduced by 16.2% to RM7.68 billion from RM9.17 billion.

Structural changes and reforms in the PRC had impacted exports of certain products. Strategies to enhance Malaysia’s exports to the PRC in line with China’s changing requirements are being formulated.

The PRC continued to be the largest source of imports for Malaysia, increasing by 8.7% to RM115.5 billion. A total 41.6% of imports from the PRC is E&E products while 46.6% of Malaysia’s export to the PRC is also in the same sector. This shows the deep integration of the supply chain between both countries.

Japan - Exports Rebounded by 4.4%

Exports to Japan rebounded by 4.4% to RM82.71 billion as compared to a decline of 5% recorded in 2013, driven by the growing manufacturing activities in Japan. Imports decreased by 2.9% to RM54.75 billion. Total trade grew by 1.4% to RM137.45 billion from RM135.56 billion in 2013.

Manufactured exports expanded by 6.2% or RM2.07 billion with the highest expansion for E&E products, manufactures of metal, chemicals, manufactures of plastics as well as optical and scientific equipment. Strong export growth was seen for electronic integrated circuits, television reception apparatus, photosensitive semiconductor devices and aircraft parts as a result of Japanese investment in Malaysia.
Major imports from Japan were E&E products, machinery, appliances and parts as well as transport equipment, mainly passenger motor vehicles and automotive parts and components.

The EU - Pockets of Growth

Strong exports to selected economies in the EU pushed trade with the EU up by 6.2% to RM143.98 billion. Exports to the EU registered a double digit growth of 11.6% to RM72.84 billion as economic activities began to expand in several countries in the region. Share of exports to the EU increased from 9.1% to 9.5%.

Higher exports were registered to markets such as:

• the Netherlands, increased by RM2.72 billion;
• Germany, ↑RM1.35 billion;
• the United Kingdom, ↑RM1.07 billion;
• Belgium, ↑RM763.5 million; and
• Poland, ↑RM546.1 million.

Main driver of increased exports to the EU was E&E products, primarily electronic integrated circuits. Increasing consumption as well as recovery in exports have stimulated demand for intermediate goods in Germany while growing popularity of smart devices have boosted demand for E&E components and parts in the EU.

Other exports that registered significant increases to the EU were palm oil, chemicals, optical and scientific equipment, machinery, appliances and parts, transport equipment, textiles, clothing and footwear as well as manufactures of metal.

Imports from the EU increased by 1.1% to RM71.14 billion. Main import products were E&E products, transport equipment as well as machinery, appliances and parts.

The USA-Strong Growth for Manufactured Goods

With higher purchasing power and improvements in the labour market, domestic demand in the USA for manufactured goods was elevated and this boosted Malaysia’s exports to the USA. Exports recorded a double digit growth of 11% to RM64.41 billion, while imports increased by 3.3% to RM52.33 billion resulting in total trade of RM116.75 billion, an increase of 7.4% over the past year.

Malaysia’s E&E exports to the USA surged by 11.2% or RM3.68 billion in 2014. The increase was due to higher exports of apparatus for transmission or reception of voice, images and other data as well as electronic integrated circuits needed for the consumer electronics industry, including smartphones, computer tablets, televisions, audio and visual equipment. According to the Consumer Electronics Association forecast, U.S sales of consumer electronics devices will continue to grow by 3% in 2015 to USD223 billion. Other products that recorded significant increases in exports were chemicals, optical and scientific equipment, machinery, appliances and parts, frozen seafood as well as textiles,clothing and footwear.

India – Malaysia’s 8th Largest Export Market

In 2014, India was Malaysia’s 8th largest export market, arising to notch from its 10th place in 2013. Exports to the country rose by 23.9% or RM6.16 billion to RM31.9 billion, with higher exports of palm oil (↑RM2.33 billion), crude petroleum (↑RM1.82 billion) as well as chemicals (↑RM536.5 million). Other products that registered increases were furniture, textiles, clothing and footwear as well as processed food. Total trade with India increased by 7.5% to RM45.24 billion.

Exports to Africa Continued to Expand

With more promotion initiatives, exports to Africa grew by 11% to RM19.47 billion. Markets with significant export growth included:

• Kenya, increased by RM1.54 billion;
• Angola, ↑RM445.3 million;
• Mozambique, ↑RM433.3 million; and
• Tanzania, ↑RM403.9 million.

Major exports to Africa were petroleum products, palm oil, processed food, chemicals and E&E products.

Broad Based Expansion in Manufactured Exports

In 2014, exports of manufactured goods, rose by 7.1% or RM39.11 billion to RM587.25 billion and accounted for 76.7% of total exports during the period. Exports of almost all manufactured goods registered increases.

Exports of E&E products expanded by 8.1% or RM19.16 billion to RM256.15 billion, the highest export value since 2008. It accounted for 33.4% of total exports. The growth is fuelled by stronger global demand for new applications of semiconductors and new wave of technologies for Internet of Things (IOT).

Higher demand for E&E products was led by electronic integrated circuits which grew by 17.8% to reach RM92.21 billion and followed by:

• Apparatus for transmission or reception of voice, images and other data, increased by 58.5% to RM7.4 billion;
• Parts for diodes, transistors, piezoelectric crystals and other semiconductor devices, ↑36.9% to RM5.34 billion;
• Parts for electrical machinery and apparatus, ↑500.1% to RM1.56 billion;
• Parts and accessories for television, radio, transmission apparatus and other telecommunication apparatus, ↑30.7% to RM4.15 billion; as well as
• Photosensitive semiconductor devices, ↑8% to RM11.19 billion.

Export markets with significant increases for E&E products were Hong Kong, the USA, the PRC, Taiwan, Japan and Mexico. The recovery in the EU and stronger manufacturing activities in ASEAN, saw increased exports of E&E products to these markets. Exports of E&E products to the EU and ASEAN increased by RM4.92 billion and RM694.6 million, respectively.

Other manufactured products that contributed to the growth in exports for 2014 were:

• Chemicals, increased by 8.5% to RM51.51 billion, primarily alcohols, phenols and their derivatives;
• Machinery, appliances and parts, ↑10.9% to RM30.01 billion, mainly machines and mechanical appliances specialized for particular industries;
• Optical and scientific equipment, ↑13.4% to RM23.64 billion, primarily automatic regulating or controlling instruments and apparatus;
• Processed food, ↑16.3% to RM16.56 billion;
• Iron and steel products, ↑28.2% to RM9.57 billion;
• Petroleum products, ↑2.9% to RM70.36 billion;
• Textiles, clothing and footwear, ↑13% to RM12.12 billion;
• Manufactures of plastics, ↑11.6% to RM11.92 billion;
• Transport equipment, ↑10% to RM10.58 billion; and
• Wood products, ↑3.9% to RM14.72 billion.

Export Performance of Mining and Agricultural Sectors

Exports of mining goods increased by 6.8% or RM6.66 billion to RM104.6 billion due to the increase in exports of LNG and crude petroleum which grew by 7.9% and 6.8%, respectively. For LNG, the average unit price was elevated by 5.5% while export quantity up by 2.3%. Export quantity for crude petroleum grew by 9.5% while average unit price dropped by 2.5%.

There was a nominal increase in exports of agricultural goods by 0.6% or RM401 million to RM69.2 billion. Exports of palm oil grew by 2.3% to RM46.95 billion, supported by 3.6% growth in average unit price and 5.3% in quantity. Exports of crude natural rubber declined by 34.9% to RM4.57 billion due to a 23.6% drop in average unit price and 14.8% reduction in export quantity.

Imports in 2014

Higher demand of intermediate goods for manufacturing activities was the primary factor for imports to rise by 5.3% to RM683.02 billion.

The three main categories of imports by end use were:

• Intermediate goods valued at RM408.38 billion or 59.8% of total imports, increased by 7.6% from 2013;
• Capital goods (RM96.18 billion or 14.1% of total imports), ↓2.1%; and
• Consumption goods (RM50.32 billion or 7.4% of total imports), ↑5.7%.

The largest category of imports was manufactured goods, accounting for 86.3% of Malaysia’s total imports. Major imports of manufactured goods in 2014 were:

• E&E products, accounted for 27.9% share of Malaysia’s total imports,
• Petroleum products mainly refined petroleum, 11.7% share;
• Chemicals, 9.1% share;
• Machinery, appliances and parts, 8.4% share; and
• Manufactures of metal, 6.1% share.

The PRC was the largest import source, followed by Singapore, Japan, the USA, Thailand and Taiwan. These countries accounted for 55.9% of total imports. ASEAN contributed RM175.45 billion or 25.7% of Malaysia’s total imports for the year 2014.

B. PERFORMANCE IN DECEMBER 2014

Malaysia’s total trade in December 2014 increased by 3.4% from a year ago to RM126.19 billion. Increases in trade were recorded with:

• the USA, increased by RM1.73 billion;
• India, ↑RM970.5 million;
• the Netherlands, ↑RM792.4 million;
• Saudi Arabia, ↑RM731.8 million;
• the ROK, ↑RM668.8 million;
• the Philippines, ↑RM358.6 million; and
• Singapore, ↑RM299.4 million.

Highest Monthly Exports Ever Recorded

Exports in December 2014 rose 2.7% year-on-year, to RM67.69 billion, the highest value ever recorded for a single month.

Major export products that registered increases in December 2014 were:
• Electrical and electronic products valued at RM23.31 billion, with a share of 34.4% of total exports, increased by 14.9% from December 2013;
• Liquefied natural gas (RM6.34 billion, 9.4%, ↑12.9%);
• Chemicals (RM4.71 billion, 7%, ↑19.3%);
• Transport equipment (RM1.01 billion, 1.5%, ↑40.6%); and
• Processed food (RM1.49 billion, 2.2%, ↑17.5%)

Imports in December 2014 increased by 4.2% to RM58.5 billion from December 2013. The three main categories of imports by end use were:

• Intermediate goods valued at RM33.57 billion or 57.4% of total imports, increased by 11.8%;
• Capital goods (RM9.56 billion or 16.3% of total imports, ↓2.7%); and
• Consumption goods (RM4.58 billion or 7.8% of total imports, ↑4.5 %).

Major import products were:

• Electrical and electronic products, RM16.3 billion or 27.9% of total imports, increased by 9.5%;
• Petroleum products (RM6.16 billion or 10.5% of total imports, ↓14%); and
• Chemicals (RM5.06 billion or 8.6% of total imports, ↑9.8%).

Driven by strong export performance, Malaysia recorded a trade surplus of RM9.19 billion in December 2014. This was 206th consecutive months since November 1997.

Note:

It should be noted that, conceptually, the export and import figures in the external trade statistics are different from that in the goods account of the balance of payments compilation. The compilation of international merchandise trade statistics is usually based on customs records, which essentially reflect the physical movement of goods across borders, and follow international guidelines on concepts and definitions, which do not fully conform to the principles of the System of National Accounts (SNA) and the Balance of Payments Compilation. Goods are defined in the SNA as “physical objects for which a demand exists, over which ownership rights can be established and whose ownership can be transferred from one institutional unit to another by engaging in transactions on markets”.

This is a preliminary release, full details would be published in the “MONTHLY EXTERNAL TRADE STATISTICS” report by the Department of Statistics, Malaysia, to be disseminated at 1200 hours, Thursday, 5th February 2015.

• This report can be accessed through the homepages of the Department of Statistics, Malaysia (http://www.statistics.gov.my) under Latest Releases: Malaysian External Trade Statistics, Ministry of International Trade and Industry (http://www.miti.gov.my) and Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (http://www.matrade.gov.my).
• The December 2014 data is provisional and subject to revision in later issue.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2015 Kuala Lumpur: Over the past few years, the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) healthcare industry has displayed extraordinary growth and is expected to expand further. The medical devices market in the UAE is projected to expand at 7.3 per cent and growth is estimated to progress from USD 841.2 million in 2013 to USD1.2 billion by 2018. Recognising valuable opportunities in this booming sector, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is facilitating the participation of 14 Malaysian exporters in ARAB HEALTH 2015 trade fair scheduled from 26 to 29 January. The event will take place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) in Dubai, UAE.

ARAB HEALTH for many years has been a focal point for buyers throughout the world as it is the second biggest event in the world’s medical industry, with most of its clientele are from the Middle East and Asia. This year will mark MATRADE’s eleventh consecutive year in the event.

Featured products and services by Malaysian exporters in ARAB HEALTH comprise medical and health care products such as medical technology, laboratory equipment, diagnostics, physiotherapy / orthopaedic technology, commodities and consumer goods for hospitals, information, communication technology in healthcare, surgical products and services, facility management, medical disposables, healthcare building technology, medical services, radiology, imaging and diagnostics, cardiology, medical publications as well as consulting services in healthcare.

According to a representative from S. Kian Seng Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian participant at the event, the objective of his involvement is to seek more agents to represent his company’s products as well as to expand and create new business opportunities in the Middle East. The company produces “Meditron” - hospital beds that are made using high-tech machinery such as Fibre Optic Laser Cut and Tube Laser Cutting. Based on the company’s last participation in the ARAB HEALTH, it managed to increase their overseas representation by 50% and enjoyed an increased sale by 60%.

Another participant from Medicfit Technology Sdn Bhd said, “We hope to increase our company’s international exposure, brand visibility and establishing our image worldwide through the event.” He is also optimistic that the company will be able to solidify its international partnerships apart from learning the new trade barriers and strategies to improve their supply chain as well as comparing notes with the other competitors and partners.

UAE’s focus on healthcare is driven by the nation’s ambition to diversify its high-value sectors and reduce its reliance on oil. The country is also strong in developing its healthcare infrastructure to ensure that adequate healthcare services are provided in the Emirates.

MATRADE as the national trade promotion agency will be organising 116 activities in over 46 countries in 2015 around the globe, and the healthcare sector has been identified as one of the main sectors to leverage on. Future events to promote Malaysian healthcare products will see Malaysian companies’ participating in various events namely the Medical Fair Thailand 2015 (10-12 September 2015) in Bangkok, Thailand, the CPhI Worldwide 2015 in Madrid, Spain (13-15 October 2015) which is specifically designed for pharmaceutical products, as well as MEDICA 2015 in Dusseldorf, Germany (16-19 November 2015).

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is spearheading the participation of 81 Malaysian exhibitors in Gulfood 2015, which will be held from 8 – 12 February 2015 at Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This year marks MATRADE’s 11th participation in Gulfood. Among others Malaysian exhibitors will feature frozen food items, wide range of palm oil products, confectioneries, sauces and paste, ready to eat, beverages, health food, pasta/noodles and food ingredients.

Gulfood will give a good exposure to the Malaysian exhibitors about the trends and requirements to export to the Gulf region particularly UAE besides providing good trade opportunities. The UAE carries an important strategic platform to enter the much larger Middle East region. It is the primary trade hub for the Gulf region and also acts as an entry point for new products, outlets and other trends.

Malaysia’s exports of processed food to UAE for the period January – November 2014 have increased from RM299.7 million in January-November 2013 to RM469.4 million. It is expected that the exports of Malaysia’s processed food to UAE will continue to grow in the coming year. Malaysian food products are widely accepted in this part of the world because of its assurance standards, high quality and reliable halal standards.

Gulfood is one of the world’s biggest annual food and hospitality show. The 2015 edition of Gulfood marks the 20th anniversary for one of the most important international platforms for the global food trade. Taking place from 8th – 12th February 2015 at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), Gulfood continues to play a pivotal role in connecting nations and suppliers, opening distribution channels for industry-related business, and highlighting Dubai’s strategic role as a key trading hub for global food industry.

Majlis merai 49 syarikat terdiri daripada 26 syarikat Bumiputera dan 23 syarikat Wanita, yang telah menyertai dan tamat Program Pembangunan Pengeksport
Bumiputera [BEDP] dan Wanita [WEDP] bagi tempoh 3 tahun, [Ambilan Jun 2011 hingga Mei 2014 dan Januari 2012 hingga Disember 2014].

Kedua–dua program ini merupakan inisiatif khusus MATRADE untuk usahawan Bumiputera dan Wanita yang berpotensi bagi menerokai pasaran antarabangsa. Program ini bertujuan
untuk membangun usahawan Bumiputera dan Wanita agar menjadi lebih berdaya saing, berkeyakinan dan berupaya untuk mengenalpasti peluang pasaran eksport dan menjadi
pengeksport yang mampan.

Diantara insentif yang di terima adalah peluang untuk menyertai Pameran Perdagangan Antarabangsa, menghadiri bengkel, latihan dan seminar berkaitan pasaran eksport disamping
menjalin jaringan perniagaan dan berkongsi maklumat perniagaan diantara peserta.

Sehingga kini, terdapat sebanyak 193 buah syarikat, iaitu sebanyak 113 syarikat Bumiputera dan 80 syarikat milikan Wanita, telah menerima manfaat daripada program BEDP dan
WEDP. Syarikat–syarikat tersebut terdiri daripada pelbagai sektor merangkumi Minyak dan Gas, ICT, Kesihatan, Makanan & Minuman, Perabot, Elektrikal & Elektronik, Perkhidmatan,
Gaya Hidup serta lain-lain lagi.

Antara syarikat dibawah program BEDP yang berjaya mencatat jumlah jualan eksport yang memberangsang dan berjaya mengeksport ke lebih daripada Tiga (3) pasaran antarabangsa
adalah Fikrisz Sdn. Bhd., Ryverra Chocolate & Confectionary Sdn. Bhd., MDC Publisher Sdn. Bhd., Darul Intelek Sdn. Bhd., Gading Kencana Sdn. Bhd. dan DreamEdge Sdn. Bhd.
Manakala bagi syarikat di bawah program WEDP, syarikat yang berjaya menembusi lebih daripada Tiga (3) pasaran antarabangsa ialah Fatihah Frozen Sdn. Bhd., Kampong Kravers Sdn.
Bhd. dan Ken-Rich Chemicals Sdn. Bhd.

Kejayaan menembusi pasaran global merupa satu peningkatan yang besar untuk sesebuah syarikat. Walaubagaimanapun, cabaran seterusnya adalah untuk mengekal pasaran export
semasa selain terus berusaha untuk menembusi pasaran baru.

Dalam suasana dunia yang tidak menentu kini, syarikat perlu mempunyai pelan perancangan yang efektif, mengguna sumber yang sedia ada dengan optimum serta memasti kemaihran
dan pegetahuan eksport yang mencukupi supaya dapat memasti kelangsungan entity perniagaan di masa hadapan.

Antara pasaran eksport utama yang telah diterokai adalah Vietnam, China, UAE, Jepun, dan Singapura.

Program E-Trade, Go – Ex dan Mid-Tier MATRADE
MATRADE telah mewujud tiga program lain iaitu Program eTrade, Go-Ex dan Program Mid- Tier.
Program E-Trade merupa inisiatif di bawah Digital Malaysia bertujuan untuk menggalak eksport syarikat PKS tempatan melalui pemasaran dalam talian dengan menyertai e-pasaran yang
ternama di peringkat antarabangsa.
Untuk fasa pertama, MATRADE bekerjasama dengan Alibaba.com untuk menawar PKS Malaysia peluang untuk mendekati ratusan juta pembeli dalam talian di seluruh dunia.
PKS yang lulus akan diberi e-baucar bernilai RM1,000, yang boleh digunakan untuk membayar sebahagian daripada yuran langganan ‘Alibaba e-Trade Global Gold Supplier Package’
RM2,000.
Pendaftaran boleh di buat di laman web MATRADE www.matrade.gov.my/en/etrade.
Program Go-Ex merupa program yang memberi fokus kepada syarikat terpilih yang bersedia untuk mengeksport atau syarikat yang berpotensi tinggi yang sudah mengeksport untuk
memasar produk baru mereka atau mencari pasaran baru.
Program ini bertujuan untuk menangani cabaran yang dihadapi oleh PKS di dalam usaha untuk menembusi pasaran baru di luar negara disebabkan kos yang tinggi dan kurang
pengetahuan tentang pasaran serta pesaing di negara tersebut.

Objektif program ini adalah untuk membangun syarikat IKS tempatan untuk menjadi lebih berdaya saing di peringkat antarabangsa di samping menyedia jalinan perniagaan.
Program ini menyedia khidmat nasihat perdagangan berdasar kepada keperluan semasa syarikat melalui Penasihat Pasaran (Market Advisor) dan Penghubung Pasaran (Market Linker)
yang telah dikenalpasti dan dilantik oleh MATRADE.

Program ini menyasar untuk membantu sebanyak 1,400 syarikat IKS dari 8 sektor utama iaitu Minyak dan Gas, Elektrik & Elektronik, ICT, Kesihatan, Bahan Binaan, Gaya Hidup,
Makanan dan Minuman serta Automotif.

Program Mid-Tier merupakan program yang memberi fokus kepada syarikat BUKAN IKS dengan jualan tahunan antara RM50 Juta hingga RM500 Juta bagi Sektor Pembuatan dan RM20
Juta hingga RM500 Juta bagi Sektor Perkhidmatan.

Program ini direka khas bagi keperluan khusus syarikat yang terlibat. 4 elemen utama yang di beri penekanan di program ini ialah:
i. Menembusi Pasaran Baru dengan menghubung syarikat kepada rangkaian rakan niaga dan pengedar.
ii. Akses kepada Pembiayaan Pengenalan kepada pelabur antarabangsa dan tempatan yang berpotensi, pengenalan kepada Pemodal Teroka (Venture Capitalist) serta kepada institusi – institusi kewangan.
iii. Teknologi Baru menyedia pautan kepada teknologi terkini serta rakan-kongsi teknologi untuk memangkin inovasi, pertumbuhan dan pembangunan syarikat.
iv. Nasihat perniagaan melalui Perunding Pengurusan Antarabangsa yang berpengalaman.

Fokus sektor berdasarkan kepada sektor NKEA seperti Perniagaan dan Perkhidmatan Profesional; Bahan Kimia; Pembinaan; Pendidikan; Elektrik dan Elektronik; Perkhidmatan Kewangan;
Makanan dan Minuman; Perkhidmatan Penjagaan Kesihatan; Hospitaliti dan Pelancongan; Maklumat dan Komunikasi; Jentera dan Peralatan; Minyak dan Gas; Farmaseutikal; Tekstil dan
Pakaian; Kelengkapan Pengangkutan; Pengangkutan serta Perkhidmatan Logistik.

THURSDAY, 15 JANUARY 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: The national trade promotion agency, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), is all geared up to embrace 2015 albeit the modest growth of global economy forecasted this year. MATRADE will embark on high-impact initiatives that are focused on enhancing market access to accelerate exports in the year 2015 onwards.

MATRADE targets greater market access overseas for exporters in high value sectors including electrical & electronic, medical devices, transport equipment, optical & scientific equipment, oil & gas, chemicals, transport equipment and building materials as well as machinery. Through the programme planned, more partnerships between local firms and global companies will be realised, easing the access into the markets.

MATRADE is placing greater emphasis in introducing more focused programs in ASEAN, especially on greenfield marketplaces. As ASEAN takes up 28 per cent of Malaysia’s exports, there are ample opportunities to enhance trade linkages among the countries in the region.

For expanding exports of services, the agency is set to intensify the promotion of the services sector by concentrating on high growth tradable services in industries covering creative industry, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), professional services, healthcare as well as education.

In line with this, MATRADE will be deepening its programme for SMEs including Go-Ex. Go-Ex is a program launched in 2014 by MATRADE to create a group of export-ready companies to venture into different markets. Among the potential sectors identified in Go-Ex Program include oil & gas, food & beverages, lifestyle, electrical & electronics, ICT, healthcare, automotive and building materials.

As for the Mid-Tier Programme, selected companies that have established export market will be facilitated to further increase their export revenue and become regional champions.

Realising the big potential e-commerce has in the global marketplace, MATRADE will further boost SME’s adoption of e-commerce through MATRADE’s eTrade program, – a collaborative effort with Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) to create a platform for Malaysian exporters market their products online.

MATRADE’s Chief Executive Officer Datuk Dr Wong Lai Sum said, “The new approaches MATRADE is undertaking will enhance the competitiveness of Malaysian exports and strengthen the country’s position as one of the world’s top exporters.”

Complementing the wide range of export promotion programmes, MATRADE will amplify its exporters’ development activities. With the aim to internationalised more Malaysian companies, MATRADE’s development program will be more focused and with the intention of enhancing the competitiveness of especially SMEs.

MATRADE also assist to equip Malaysian companies with a better understanding of the peculiarities and needs of different markets so they can offer the ‘right’ products or services. In moving up the country’s global value chain, MATRADE will carry out market assessments and assist the companies to participate in global supply chain.

MATRADE’s digital infrastructure will be improved to allow faster export-related information delivery. This will help exporters make quick and well-informed business decisions to stay ahead of the competition. Companies can leverage on MATRADE’s online service and mobile app called MyExport to attain useful information on export. The service can be utilised upon registering as a MATRADE’s member.

In total, there are 116 programmes planned by MATRADE in 46 countries around Asia, Europe, the Middle East and America. The programmes and markets have been carefully selected to benefit exporters and it is important that the private sector confirmed their participation as early as possible as places are limited.

For more information on MATRADE, its events and services, visit www.matrade.gov.my or download MATRADE Mobile App (Trade2Media).