Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation

THURSDAY, 20 DECEMBER 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: As Bahrain maintains a vibrant construction industry in the coming years, the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation - or MATRADE, initiated efforts to create opportunities for Malaysian companies in this prosperous Middle East nation.

Through MATRADE's Export Acceleration Mission (EAM) for the Services Sector to the Kingdom of Bahrain from 9 - 13 December 2018, a delegation led by MATRADE Deputy CEO, Dato' Wan latiff Wan Musa met with HE Eng. Bassim bin Yaqoub Al- Hamr, Minister of Housing, The Kingdom of Bahrain. During the meeting, the MATRADE delegation expressed Malaysia's interest to share the country's experience and expertise in developing public housing projects in Bahrain and around the world.

“Malaysian companies have strengths and vast experience in the construction related services sector, having been involved in mega projects such as the administrative centre of Putrajaya, Cyberjaya, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and rail transportation projects,” Dato' Wan Latiff mentioned. He added, “Our Malaysian construction companies are well qualified and highly experienced. This will serve as strong credentials to be given the opportunity to participate in the construction of social housing projects in Bahrain.”

In the construction industry, Bahrain has a strong focus on transportation and industrial infrastructure, as well as the construction of tens of thousands of affordable housing units. These developments are expected to be among the key drivers of growth for the sector in the near future, with much of this coming from government-backed projects. Strong real estate growth continues with a number of residential, commercial and hospitality developments coming on-line in to the new year of 2019 and onwards.

The MATRADE delegation also included representatives from Malaysian industry players including 12 professional service providers under MWZ Consortium Sdn Bhd. The delegation had earlier attended the 5th Arab Housing Conference that was held from 11-12 December 2018. The conference involving 21 Arab countries discussed important policy initiatives for public housing in the Arab World.

Malaysia was the only non-Arab country which participated in this Conference and were specially invited by the Ministry of Housing Bahrain. The Malaysian delegates were privileged to have the opportunity to share their vast experience in undertaking liveable
township developments in the Malaysia.

One of the delegates, Architect Mustafa Kamal, shared his company's experience in undertaking the Denai Alam housing development, which is an award winning liveable housing project in Shah Alam. The Minister, HE Eng Bassim welcomed the strong interest presented by MATRADE. He recorded that Malaysia is well renowned for public infrastructure projects and its achievements indeed serve as benchmark for the region. HE Minister also welcomed the forging of a partnership with Malaysia, suggesting closer engagement between the government of both countries. He also invited Malaysian companies to partner with Bahraini
developers to undertake government related projects especially the public housing in Bahrain.

Other programmes organised during the EAM included roundtable meetings with Bahraini companies, and meetings with key organisations such as the Ministry of Housing, Bahrain Economic Development Board, Urban Planning and Development Authority, Bahrain Society of Engineers, Bahrain ASEAN Business Council. A networking dinner jointly hosted with the Malaysian Embassy in the Kingdom of Bahrain was also organised with participation by Bahraini counterparts and the Malaysian diaspora working and living in Bahrain.

During the EAM the consortium offered an integrated service especially in the areas of project management, architectural, engineering, interior design and landscaping Some of key projects under discussion were an immediate parcel of 400 units of 3,300 unit's township in the west of Manama. In the 5 period from 2015 to 2020, the Bahrain government has plans to build a total of 40,000 units of public houses throughout the country.

According one of the delegates in this tour, also a prominent figure in the construction industry, Datuk Zamri Ahmad, Chairman of MWZ Consortium Sdn Bhd, “This initiative which was spearheaded by MATRADE is a strategic focused approach and will be instrumental in opening up opportunities for Malaysian service providers to get involved in public housing projects in Bahrain. MWZ Consortium Sdn Bhd welcomes any Malaysian contractors and developers to collaborate with us to explore business opportunities in Bahrain”.

WEDNESDAY, 19 DECEMBER 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) announced its Work Programme 2019 today providing a glimpse into the trade opportunities available around the world for Malaysian businesses in helping them be more competitive globally.

The set of programmes developed by MATRADE for 2019 includes both Exporters Development and Export Promotion activities. These initiatives will serve as catalyst to help Malaysian companies grow their businesses organically by improving market access as well as introducing Malaysia-made and designed products and services to the global markets.

Some 98 per cent of businesses registered in Malaysia are Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) contributing significantly to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and also employing some 65 per cent of the Malaysian workforce. However, despite this significant space in the Malaysian economic sphere, the contribution of our SMEs in export is relatively small – with less than 18 per cent. Similarly, the local Mid-Tier Companies (MTCs) comprise one per cent of Malaysian business establishments but contribute about 30 per cent to Malaysia’s GDP. However, the current export growth of these MTCs stood at 6.8 per cent and there is plenty of room for improvements.

“The Work Programme 2019 aims to push the contribution of Malaysian SMEs and MTCs in export. The Malaysian economy depends on international trade and the SMEs and MTCs are the backbone of the economy. Their improved participation in export will definitely benefit our economy,” MATRADE’s Chief Executive Officer Ir. Dr Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen Madros mentioned.

For 2019, MATRADE will be organising 477 programmes comprising both Exporters Development and Export Promotion activities. The Exporters Development activities include hand-holding programmes (Go-Ex Programme and Mid-Tier Companies Development Programme), customised programmes (Bumiputera, Women and Youth Exporters Programme and eTRADE Programme), training and workshops as well as outreach events. Export Promotion programmes include trade fairs, trade missions (Trade & Investment Mission and Export Acceleration Mission), global sourcing and business matching (International Sourcing Programme).

The global trade promotion programmes will be focused on Malaysia’s key trading partners namely ASEAN, European Union, Northeast Asia, West Asia and Americas. The programmes will highlight Malaysia’s key export sectors such as Electrical & Electronics, Oil & Gas, Construction, Machinery & Equipment, Services, Halal & Food and Beverages, Lifestyle, Medical & Pharmaceutical and Automotive. Emerging and high-innovation industries such as Gaming, Animation, Fashion and Aerospace will also be given due emphasis. Other enablers by MATRADE are in the form of financial facilitation namely Market Development Grant and Services Export Fund.

The programmes are being designed to be more strategically focused to best match opportunities available in the world markets as well driving the new opportunities that are envisioned by the various regional and bilateral Free Trade Agreements undertaken by Malaysia.

The thinking behind the Work Programme is also focused on riding on the nation’s inherent strengths as a preferred nation for the world to do business with due to ease of doing business. “The nation is riding on the back of a tumultuous period of national transformation in 2018 within a tough global economic environment. As we move into 2019, we must be prepared for the strategic shifts that will be effected by the impact e-commerce, Industry 4.0, Artificial Intelligence (AI) Big Data and Digital Transformation. All of this will have a strong bearing on how international trade is realised, particularly in the international supply chain system as well as shifts in financial transaction platforms,” Mohd Shahreen shared.

In Malaysia, MATRADE will continue to organise its iconic trade event Malaysia International Halal Showcase 2019 which is the world’s top sourcing platform for halal products and services. Complementing this is partnerships with world’s iconic trade events organised in Malaysia such as Malaysia International Furniture Fair, Export Furniture Exhibition, Semicon South East Asia, Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition, Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week and many more.

Moving into 2019, MATRADE will play a leadership role in coordinating the export promotion activities by other government agencies and the private sector. A plan is currently underway to address this and in making sure the various export promotion activities are streamlined and generate the best possible outcomes.

THURSDAY, 13 DECEMBER 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is organising its signature export promotion initiative called Export Acceleration Mission (EAM) in New Delhi, India in conjunction with one of India’s top trade fairs, ACETECH New Delhi. The mission is aimed at promoting Malaysian capabilities in construction and building materials in India, which is one of the key markets MATRADE is targeting. The mission takes place from 11to 17 December 2018 and involves 13 companies.

The initiative is timely as there is a rising demand for construction services and building materials products in India due to the growing investment by the Indian government in improving the country’s transport infrastructure, energy and residential. The mission features pre-arranged business meetings between Malaysian companies with potential clients, briefing by KPMG New Delhi on insights of doing business in India and site visits to related associations and retailers in India.

According to Datin Rusiah Mohamed, Director of Construction and Business Services Section at MATRADE, the EAM offers Malaysian companies an ideal platform to introduce their products or services to buyers in not only India but from around the region too. “Such B2B matching is considered the most effective platform for Malaysian companies to secure export sales. This effort is also important in boosting the trade of the construction and building materials sector as well as strengthening the Malaysian companies’ footprint in a huge market such as India,” she said.

“Malaysian companies need to start exploring the opportunities in India as the Indian government is currently aggressive in developing the country’s infrastructure. One of the projects that Malaysian companies can tap on is the Bharatmala, which is a road and highways project by the Indian government. This is the best time to offer them the Malaysian expertise and quality products,” Datin Rusiah mentioned.

Construction and building materials sector is one of Malaysia’s key drivers in export. In 2017, Malaysia’s total export of construction industry was valued at RM4.07 billion while the building materials total export value was at RM29.77 billion.

Malaysian companies keen to explore the world markets particularly South Asia are urged to reach out to MATRADE. The trade promotion agency has over 46 global trade offices that serve as a link for local companies to meet with potential buyers, helping the companies understand foreign markets / rules and regulations to export as well as facilitating the companies’ other export requirements. Malaysian companies who are interested to venture into Indian market are advised to contact our trade offices in Mumbai and Chennai.

For more details visit www.matrade.gov.my, email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or follow MATRADE on its social media channels.

SATURDAY, 8th DECEMBER 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) urges the Malaysian youth to make international trade their business key agenda so they could prepare themselves in steering the future growth of our economy. This is ever so relevant for Malaysia in sustaining its competitiveness globally after the announcement of Malaysia as the best country in the world to do business in 2018 by CEO World magazine and as the world’s best emerging market by Bloomberg.

In an effort to boost youth awareness in international trade, MATRADE organised the Youth Export Day (YED) 2018 at Menara MATRADE today. The event was attended by the Minister of International Trade and Industry, YB Datuk Darell Leiking and Youth and Sports Minister, YB Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman who both shared the stage to champion the call for youth to be global entrepreneurs.

The event featured activities such as a series of TED-like business talks with successful youth entrepreneurs, celebrity entrepreneurs sharing session, robotic and drone shows, e-sports activities (video games tournament), outdoor sports, sales carnival, fashion shows, graffiti and many more. Special appearances from social media celebrities also complemented the event. The celebrities engagement was aimed at expanding the outreach of this initiative to all youth from all walks of life.

One of the key highlights at the event was the “University Product Invention” segment which showcased university students’ latest research and innovations. Among the universities involved in this session were Universiti Utara Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Pahang and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, just to name a few. This segment was introduced to promote commercialisation of product innovation among the Universities so they too, can be part of the exporting community.

According to MATRADE’s CEO, Ir. Dr. Mohd Shahreen Zainoreen Madros, “Today’s event is an ideal platform for the Malaysian youth to learn and keep abreast with the latest development in export and how they can tap into the world’s markets. With digital platform, a lot more businesses, including youth-owned, can enjoy greater market access and expand their footprints overseas. MATRADE as Malaysia’s trade promotion organisation will facilitate their journey to go global through our exporters development and export promotion programmes.”

Championing the youth agenda in international trade is in line with ASEAN’s aspirations as stated in the ASEAN 2025 Blueprint that aims to improve people-to-people connectivity, technology transfer and knowledge sharing among the young.

“ASEAN has a high young population and they have a strong consumer power. More than 70 per cent of ASEAN population today comprised people under 45 years old and they play a huge role in the nation’s workforce apart from driving the economy. Furthermore, the event is timely as there is a vibrant entrepreneurial culture among Malaysian youth. However, many of these youth entrepreneurs are still focusing on domestic business,” he added.

For more information on MATRADE’s facilitation, please visit www.matrade.gov.my or MATRADE’s social media channels. MATRADE is Malaysia’s trade promotion organisation and has a network of 46 trade offices worldwide. The organisation is tasked to grow Malaysia’s exporters and make Malaysia a competitive trading nation.

MONDAY, 3 DECEMBER 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: As Malaysia grows its competitiveness in international trade, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) will play an even prominent role in streamlining trade promotion initiatives to ensure all the efforts to promote Malaysia’s trade capabilities are well targeted and strategic.

This is in line with the aspiration by the Government when MATRADE was incepted. The idea to establish the trade promotion agency was mooted with a purpose to be the central body to manage the dynamic changes in the world-trading environment, to promote, assist and develop Malaysia’s external trade and to streamline export promotion activities.

“Currently, there are many ministries and agencies involved in various export promotion programmes in the overseas market. There are bound to be redundancies and overlaps. We must be able to adapt to changes and operate in a fast-changing world economy and evolving megatrends, such as the emergence of disruptive technologies and other technological advances, new versions of Free Trade Agreements, imposition of trade barriers in the name of environmental protection, urbanization and climate change,” said YAB Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia.

MATRADE has played an instrumental role in growing the country’s trade over the decades. It facilitated the transformation of the country from commodity-driven to high-value sector-driven economy. In 1993, when MATRADE was incepted, Malaysia’s total exports were just over RM121 billion. In 2017, the volume of exports had grown to RM935.6 billion. Currently, Malaysia is exporting to 234 markets around the world.

This was the message transpired during MATRADE’s gala dinner to commemorate its 25th year anniversary. In this regard, all agencies in both the public and private sector are urged to coordinate their export promotion activities through MATRADE to ensure the concerted efforts will be able to achieve a common target, which is to accelerate exports and sustain trade surplus.

“MATRADE is and will always be an important agency under MITI as we are a trading nation, and trade is central to our vision to move into the ranks of an advanced nation. The establishment of MATRADE is a testament to our leaders’ foresight at that time led by YAB Tun Dr. Mahathir on the contribution of export to the country’s economic development. Over the past 25 years of its existence, MATRADE has continuously pursue its mandate to position Malaysia as a competitive trading nation, as well as to develop local companies to be successful exporters,” said YB Datuk Darell Leiking, Minister of International Trade & Industry.

“Currently, there are many ministries and agencies involved in various export promotion programmes in the overseas market. There are bound to be redundancies and overlaps. We must be able to adapt to changes and operate in a fast-changing world economy and
evolving megatrends, such as the emergence of disruptive technologies and other technological advances, new versions of Free Trade Agreements, imposition of trade barriers in the name of environmental protection, urbanization and climate change,” said
YAB Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia.

According to the World Trade Organisation, Malaysia is currently the world’s top 25th trading and exporting nation and the world’s top 26th importing nation. The country’s key sectors include Electrical & Electronics, Logistics, Aerospace, Information, Communication & Technology, Creative Content, Medical Devices, Chemicals & Chemical Products and Lifetsyle, just to name a few.

Moving forward, MATRADE will emphasise on the utilisation of big data to help Malaysian companies venture into markets that are relevant to their products or services. The organisation is continuously enhancing its digital systems to support the collation and categorisation of data for key Malaysian sectors.

“I think that thinking through to succeed with big data would be the biggest role that MATRADE can do. It starts with collecting data. Data should also be made available to everyone. It is however entirely up to them to make their own decisions and conclusions from the data,” said YAB Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.

MATRADE encourages Malaysian companies to register as a MATRADE member to be the first to know about all its exporters development and export promotion activities. For more details visit www.matrade.gov.my.

MONDAY, 26th NOVEMBER 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) will be championing the youth agenda by organising its inaugural Youth Export Day 2018. Set to take place on 8th December 2018 the initiative aims to encourage the country’s youth active participation in international trade.

The event will be held at the Menara MATRADE in Kuala Lumpur and will feature activities such as a talk to discuss opportunities and challenges faced by the youth in global business with Minister of International Trade & Industry YB Datuk Darell Leiking, a panel session with celebrity entrepreneurs, outdoor sports such as archery, street soccer, wall climbing and paintball, e-sports arcade, robotic shows, sales carnival, fashion tutorial and shows, graffiti and many more. Appearance from social media celebrities and artists will also be complementing the event’s line up.

The Youth Export Day 2018 will be an ideal platform to boost the awareness of Malaysian youth in international trade and the importance for them to include exporting as part of their business plan, as early as possible.

According to the MATRADE’s Chief Executive Officer, Ir. Dr. Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen Madros, the Youth Export Day will provide an avenue for youth under the age of 40 to congregate and expand their business network. “As the national trade promotion agency, MATRADE sees this effort as a proactive measure to improve the awareness in international trade among the local youth. The event is timely as there is a vibrant entrepreneurial culture among Malaysian youth. However, many of these youth entrepreneurs are still set to only focus on domestic business,” said Mohd Shahreen.

“In this context, it is imperative for MATRADE to address the issue by nurturing and guiding them to be successful globally by first creating a closer engagement with them,” he added.

Championing the youth agenda in international trade is in line with ASEAN’s aspirations as stated in the ASEAN 2025 Blueprint that aims to improve people-to-people connectivity, technology transfer and knowledge sharing among the young.

“ASEAN has a high young population and they have a strong consumer power. More than 70 per cent of ASEAN population today comprised people under 45 years old and they play a huge role in the nation’s workforce apart from driving the economy,”

Mohd Shahreen said, “Today, the youth can enjoy faster market access thanks to the digital platforms. MATRADE is ever-ready to help guide and support them in terms of providing market intelligence, export know-how and export opportunities so they too can expand their business to over 234 markets that Malaysia is currently trading with.”

Admission to Youth Export Day 2018 is free and the first 2000 visitors will receive special gifts at the event. For more information, please visit MATRADE’s social media page on Facebook, go to the event’s Instagram (Youth Export Day) or log on to the event’s website www.youthexportday.com.

SUNDAY, 25 NOVEMBER 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: The recent participation in MEDICA 2018 in Dusseldorf, Germany bore good results with export potential valued at RM 257.74 million, an increase of 24.4 per cent as compared to 2016, recorded. The mission was organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation’s (MATRADE) from 12th to 15th November 2018.

The event was participated by 10 Malaysian companies and the initiative was MATRADE’s 6th involvement in the premier healthcare trade event in the European Union (EU) since 2012. The companies at the event represented various medical devices sectors such as diagnostic and test kits, sanitisers and disinfectants, medical graph paper, innovative sheath contraceptives, as well as medical components.

Malaysia’s exports of Medical Device reached historic heights at RM 19.78 billion in 2017, up 24.9 per cent compared to 2016. At a pro-rated growth rate, MATRADE expects the exports of Medical Devices to break the RM 20 billion mark by end of 2018. For the first nine months of 2018, exports of Medical Devices to Europe reached RM 5.2 billion, a 12.9 per cent percent increase from the same period last year.

According to Mr. Abu Bakar Yusof, Director of Lifestyle and Life Sciences of MATRADE, “Such increase is partly attributed to our participation in world’s large-scale events such as Arab Health and MEDICA. MEDICA for instance has more than 5,000 exhibitors with over 120,000 visitors, in a region where its healthcare expenditure is expected to reach RM 530 billion by 2020. For MATRADE, we believe our presence in such exhibition will elevate Malaysia’s Medical Device sector and enable our companies to grow further within the years to come. During the event, strong interests in Malaysian Medical Devices were seen from various European countries.”

During the event, Welford Manufacturing Sdn Bhd – a Malaysian Medical device manufacturer of catheters and infusion sets – secured a Sales Agreement with a United Kingdom-based medical device distributor for the supplies of infusion sets worth RM 33 million over a 5-year period.

Mr. LC Wong from Welford stated that “The Sales Agreement was signed after several months of negotiations, thanks to MATRADE assistance through both its headquarters and London’s office in helping us identify the right partner. Since receiving assistance and guidance from MATRADE this year, we have been able to double our exports of infusion sets and expanded our market to the likes of United Kingdom, Poland and Italy. We are currently in talks with new buyers from South America after participating in MATRADE’s trade mission to the region in October. We hope that we will be able to continue to work with MATRADE closely to expand our business further within the coming years.”

During the mission, MATRADE has also received an award from Top Glove Corporation Berhad that recognises MATRADE’s role in helping the company grow globally. Top Glove is currently one of the world’s top rubber glove producers. The award was given by Top Glove’s Executive Chairman Tan Sri Dr. Lim Wee Chai during the company’s appreciation dinner in Dusseldorf.

SATURDAY, 24 NOVEMBER 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian companies are set to explore export opportunities for chemicals and chemical products in Vietnam and Cambodia through Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) signature export promotion programme, Export Acceleration Mission (EAM). The EAM will take place in Ho Chi Minh and Phnom Penh from 26 – 30 November 2018.

To be spearheaded by MATRADE, the initiative will capitalise on the booming demand for industrial processing, manufacturing activities and chemical-based consumer products in the two emerging ASEAN markets.

The 5-day mission involving xx Malaysian companies will feature pre-arranged business meetings between Malaysian companies with xx potential buyers, briefing by local authorities, chambers at respective cities and site visits to the related associations and retailers. These programmes aim to provide detailed insights on doing business at both markets.

During the business matching sessions, Malaysian companies will be able to introduce and pitch their products or services to high-potential buyers in both countries. The B2B matching is considered the most effective platform for Malaysian companies to secure export sales.

The Malaysian delegates in the mission will be offering high quality chemical products and world-class services such as industrial chemicals cleaning products, detergents, specialty chemicals, raw materials of petrochemicals, plastic products, fertilisers, industrial lubricant oils, agrochemicals, storage & warehousing services, Original Equipment Manufacturing and contract manufacturing for chemical products, engineering services to support the water treatment, power and many more.

“MATRADE has more than two decades of experience in coordinating effective business matching sessions for Malaysian business with foreign buyers. We hope through this mission, the participants will be able to secure potential business leads and strengthen Malaysia’s position as Vietnam’s and Cambodia’s preferred suppliers for chemicals and chemical products,” said En Wan Azhamuddin Jusoh, Deputy Director of Oil & Gas, Chemical and Energy Section.

There are huge opportunities for chemicals and chemical products in Vietnam. The country received more than USD 35 billion foreign investment just in 2017, which created high demand for industrial chemicals to support industrial processing and manufacturing activities. In 2017, Malaysia’s total trade with Vietnam for chemicals and chemical products grew by 21.1 per cent valued at RM4.36 billion as compared to the previous year. Total exports of chemicals and chemical products to Vietnam also grew in tandem, powering ahead by 22.1 per cent to RM3.69 billion in year 2017.

Meanwhile, Cambodia being a net importing country, poses high demand for industrial chemicals and consumer goods from chemical-based. Malaysia’s total trade with Cambodia for chemicals and chemical products recorded an increase of 25.6 per cent valued at RM87.6 million for the period of 2016 – 2017. Total exports of chemicals and chemical products to Cambodia grew by 24.5 per cent valued at RM85.3 million.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2018 KOTA KINABALU: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), Malaysia’s national trade promotion agency, took the initiative to boost the awareness on export among the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Sabah through its signature outreach event, Export Day 2018.

Organised for the second time in Sabah, the event took place at The Pacific Sutera Hotel in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Officiated by Minister of Trade and Industry (MTI) Sabah, YB Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau, the one-day event was a joint effort between MATRADE, MTI and the State Government of Sabah. Also present at the event were the MTI Permanent Secretary, Datuk Madiyem Layapan, MATRADE’s CEO Ir. Dr. Mohd. Shahreen Zainooreen Madros and Deputy CEO II MATRADE, Puan Sharimahton Mat Saleh.

This event was held in conjunction with MATRADE’s 25th Anniversary this year and was themed as ‘Celebrating 25 Years of Export Excellence’. The event was an embodiment of MATRADE’s commitment to grow the export contribution from Sabah and reflected the good synergy between the state government and federal government agencies. The Export Day 2018 in Sabah also created an opportunity and a conducive platform for the Sabahan business community to congregate and network as well as relish upon each other experiences in global business.

“This collaboration was aimed at promoting the internationalisation of Malaysian companies, particularly from Sabah. This is key in growing the nation’s economy for the benefit of the Rakyat. Bringing the Export Day to Sabah has also allowed us to identify and reach out to various parties in the export fraternity in Sabah,” said Dr. Mohd Shahreen.

The event featured briefing sessions on MATRADE’s programmes namely the Go-Ex Programme, Bumiputera Women & Youth Exporters, eTRADE Programme and Market Development Grant. Apart from the briefing sessions, MATRADE has also organised an experience sharing session by its former Trade Commissioners from Indonesia, Mumbai and Saudi Arabia. The session offered valuable market insights for the Sabahan business community, helping them to better strategise their export plan.

“Apart from appreciating the contributions of Sabahan exporters in Malaysia’s trade, the event was organised to inform local companies on the latest export opportunities around the world, strategies to win global market demands, updates on current international issues as well as MATRADE’s programme throughout 2018 available for Sabahan companies,” he added.

The participants attending the event also had the opportunity to register as a MATRADE member and seek advisory services from MATRADE. Currently there are 401 MATRADE members from Sabah and Federal Territory of Labuan and MATRADE hopes for this number to grow further.

In 2017, Malaysia’s trade was recorded at RM 1.8 trillion, with an increment of 19.2 per cent from the previous year. Malaysia’s exports have increased 18.8 percent to RM935 billion, compared to RM 787 billion registered last year. Malaysia’s imports increased by 19.7 per cent to register RM 836.4 billion.

For Sabah, the state’s trade in 2017 recorded an increase of 20 per cent to reach RM 51.9 billion and contributed 2.9 per cent to Malaysia’s total trade. Exports by the state grew by 19 per cent in 2017 to RM41.8 billion, from RM34.4 billion in the previous year, contributing 4.5 per cent to Malaysia’s total exports.

“The trade contribution by Sabahan companies has showed great improvement but there are still ample opportunities around the world for the Sabah’s industry players to tap on, in order for them to grow internationally,” said Dr. Mohd Shahreen.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2018 SIBU, SARAWAK: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is pushing for greater awareness on export among Sarawakian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) through its iconic outreach event Export Day. Called Export Day Sarawak 2018, this was the second time the iconic event was being held in Sarawak. The first edition was in Kuching.

Organised in collaboration with Sarawak Ministry of International Trade and e-Commerce (MITeC) the event was inaugurated by the Minister of MITeC, YB Dato’ Sri Wong Soon Koh, witnessed of YB Dato’ Haji Naroden Majais, the Assistant Minister of e-Commerce.

The Export Day Sarawak 2018 aimed to create a closer engagement with Sarawakian businesses apart from encouraging them to go global and promoting MATRADE’s facilitations for them to venture abroad. The event was also to commemorate MATRADE’s 25th year Anniversary.

During the event, the SMEs attended a series of Trade Talks highlighting market opportunities in Indonesia, India and China and were exposed to MATRADE’s initiatives too, namely Go-Ex, eTRADE, Market Development Grant and Services Export Fund.

According to MATRADE’s Senior Director of Transformation & Digital Trade Division, Mr. Amran Yem, the Export Day Sarawak 2018 was an important platform for Sarawakian SMEs in encouraging them to be more involved in global business. “It is important for Sarawak’s SMEs to take part in exporting so they can contribute in growing the country’s trade. Currently, SMEs in Malaysia contribute about 17.3 per cent in export, by 2020 we hope this number can increase up to 23 per cent as stipulated in the SME Masterplan. Sarawak’s SMEs can definitely play a greater role in this regard,” he said.

Currently, there are more than 450 companies from Sarawak across various industries such as automotive, machineries & appliances, palm oil products, building materials, shipbuilding, handcrafted products, food and beverages who are registered with MATRADE. MATRADE welcomes more Sarawakian companies to register as a MATRADE member so they will be the first to know about MATRADE’ exporters development programmes, market opportunities and trade promotion activities by MATRADE.

“We urge the business community in Sarawak to do more engagement with MATRADE through our Sarawak’s office so they could learn more about opportunities for their business overseas and how they can be matched with high-potential buyers from all over the world. Sarawak has various unique traits in natural resources such peppers and honey as well as in its culture. These can give Sarawakian companies an edge to market their brands abroad. What’s important is for them to understand global marketing, trade barriers and non-trade barriers. MATRADE has these information and we can render a big help to their export journey,” Amran mentioned.

In addition, participants also had the opportunity to seek key information on export at the export advisory counters at the event, by not only MATRADE but other relevant agencies and ministries too. Among them included the Ministry of International Trade & Industry, MITeC, Ministry of Industrial & Entrepreneur Development (MIED) Sarawak, Malaysian Investment Development Authority, Malaysian Productivity Corporation, Malaysian Industrial Development Finance, MyIPO, Royal Malaysian Customs, SIRIM Bhd and EXIM Bank.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2018 KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) organised a mission to Melbourne to promote the Malaysian fashion industry as it saw a huge opportunity for Malaysian companies to expand in the market. This is reflective from the increment of Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of Malaysia’s fashion products exports to Australia by 6.27 per cent between 2013 to 2017 indicating a greater acceptance for Malaysian fashion products in Australia.

The mission called Export Acceleration Mission (EAM) on Fashion Industry to Australia started from 18 and will end on 24 November 2018. The EAM takes place in conjunction with the International Sourcing Expo Australia (ISEA) 2018 in Melbourne, which is a premier sourcing platform for apparels, textiles, footwear, leather and fashion accessories.

According to Mr. Abu Bakar Yusof, Director of Lifestyle and Life Sciences at MATRADE, the mission aims to match Malaysian companies with key Australian industry stakeholders and buyers. “This mission is part of with MATRADE's strategy to accelerate the exports of key sectors within the fashion industry namely textiles, apparels and footwear,” said Abu Bakar.

“Initiative such as this is timely as the Australian fashion market is currently valued at US$20 billion. During this event, 11 participating Malaysian companies will be matched with over 200 Australian buyers. This EAM also offers the opportunities for Malaysian companies to connect with buyers from other neighbouring countries such as New Zealand,” he added.

The Malaysian participants will also be going through a series of networking sessions with the Australian Fashion Council (AFC), Australia-Malaysia Business Council (AMBC), School of Fashion & Textiles RMIT University, Australian Fashion Marketer and Malaysia in Business Melbourne (MIBM) to create a greater engagement with Australia’s key industry influencers and decision makers.

Apart from the pre-arranged business meetings, Malaysian companies will also attend the Global Business Seminars during the expo and market visits to Australian leading fashion boutiques such as “Fitzroy Fashion & Art Centre” and “Chapel Street Fashion Capital”.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) encourages Malaysian manufacturers in the lifestyle sector to venture into Original Design Manufacturing (ODM) or Original Brand Manufacturing (OBM) to be more competitive globally and to strengthen Malaysia’s status as a design hub for the world.

This was the message delivered at the trade promotion agency’s seminar titled “From Original Equipment Manufacturing to Original Design Manufacturing/Original Brand Manufacturing: The Perks and Challenges”. The event was organised in collaboration with Malaysian Timber Industry Board (MTIB), Malaysian Textile and Apparel Centre (MATAC) and Malaysian Footwear Manufacturers Association (MFMA).

The event was aimed at enhancing the Malaysian companies’ understanding on the ODM and OBM so they could better transition into the two. The effort is part of MATRADE’s strategy to grow the capabilities of Malaysian companies particularly in industries such as fashion, textile, apparels, footwear and furniture.

MATRADE urges Malaysian companies to move up the value chain by making effort to diversify and innovate, in this case through the ODM or OBM, so they could produce higher value products and services for export. According to said Abu Bakar Yusof, Director of Lifestyle and Life Sciences at MATRADE, investment in the ODM and OBM will give the companies an avenue to secure a bigger share in increasingly competitive global market through their own designing, marketing and brand management, instead of continuing to function as nothing more than Original Equipment Manufacturers or OEMs.

“MATRADE encourages Malaysian companies and industry stakeholders to engage with MATRADE to learn not only how to gain market access but what strategies and tactics to apply to be a global champion,” he said.

In 2017, Malaysia’s total exports of fashion comprising textiles, apparels & footwear rose by 10.4 per cent to reach RM15.33 billion, as compared to 2016. For the first nine months this year, the exports of fashion were valued at RM11.21 billion. Meanwhile, Malaysia’s exports for Furniture in 2017 rose by 6.4 per cent to reach RM10.14 billion, as compared to 2016. For the first nine months this year, exports of furniture were valued at RM7.10 billion.

“To maintain and accelerate these figure, there is a need for Malaysian companies to make bold moves in manufacturing their own brands. Agencies such as MATRADE will be there to support them all the way,” Abu Bakar opined.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018 KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) capitalises on the growing demand for Malaysian Medical Devices by ramping up the promotion of Malaysian brands at one of the world’s largest Healthcare and Medical Devices exhibitions, MEDICA Dusseldorf. The event is set to take place in Dusseldorf, Germany, from 12th to 15th November 2018.

Ten Malaysian companies are taking part in the MEDICA Dusseldorf and will be showcasing their brands to over 120,000 visitors and 5,000 companies present at the event. This year marks MATRADE’s sixth participation in MEDICA Dusseldorf. To date, a total of 37 companies have benefitted from MATRADE’s mission to the event since 2012.

The companies participating under are mainly manufacturers of diagnostic and test kits, sanitisers and disinfectants, medical graph paper, innovative sheath contraceptives, as well as medical components, among others. The selection of the companies was done based on the companies’ capabilities and MATRADE’s broad based strategies in positioning Malaysia as the preferred sourcing hub for Medical Devices, particularly for Medical Disposables.

MATRADE’s participation in MEDICA Dusseldorf is also expected to witness the breakthrough of a Malaysian medical disposable manufacturer into the European market. The local manufacturer will ink a long term contract with their partner in the United Kingdom with a deal valued at RM15 million.

Malaysia’s exports of Medical Devices to Europe showed steady growth for the past five years from RM 4.4 billion in 2012 to RM 6.4 billion in 2017, with a compounded annual growth rate of 7.5 per cent. Exports to Europe, on average, accounts for 30 per cent of Malaysia’s total exports of Medical Devices during the same period. For the first nine months of 2018, exports of Medical Devices to Europe reached RM5.45 billion, a 12.2 per cent percent increase from the same period last year.

“Participation in MEDICA Dusseldorf would enable local manufacturers to not only establish connections with buyers and distributors but also to understand the market peculiarities such as the stringent regulatory requirements in Europe. Complying with these requirements will certainly ease market access for the Malaysian companies and eventually lead to the increase of their exports to the region,” said Abu Bakar Yusof, Director of Lifestyle and Life Sciences, MATRADE.

Traditionally, exports of Medical Devices to Europe were mostly dominated by Medical Gloves, however there is a change in the export structure where share of Medical Consumables increased from 28 per cent in 2012 to 53 per cent to 2018. The remaining Non-Glove segment too, grew from 28 per cent share in 2012 to 53 per cent in 2017.

“Exports of Non-Medical Glove Segment grew at a compounded annual growth rate of 21 per cent between 2012 to 2017, reflecting the diversification of Malaysian Medical Devices industry,” Abu Bakar noted.

In terms of market, the top five destinations for Malaysian Medical Devices in Europe (for 2017) were Germany (RM 2.29 billion), Belgium (RM 1.54 billion), the Netherlands (RM 450 million), United Kingdom (RM 369 million) and Italy (RM 337 million). Collectively, these markets contributed 77.8 per cent of Malaysia’s exports of Medical Device to Europe in 2017.

WEDNESDAY, 7 NOVEMBER 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) plays its part in assisting the African countries by sharing its expertise in trade promotion to participants of Third Country Training Programme (TCTP). The programme which started from 28 October will end on 9 November 2018. It is jointly organised by MATRADE, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Japan International Cooperation Agency.

This year marks the fifth TCTP for MATRADE since 2013. This time around, eight participants who are government officials from Cameroon, Kenya, Mozambique, Senegal, Tanzania and Zimbabwe are taking part in the programme. Since the first participation (2013-2017), MATRADE has trained a total of 51 participants from 14 African countries. The two-weeks programme is specifically designed to mutually benefit the African countries and Malaysia, through sharing best practices on trade facilitation, visit to various government agencies as well as study visit to Malaysian companies to understand the ecosystem of trade development in Malaysia.

According to Datuk Aureen Jean Nonis, Senior Director of Strategic Planning Division of MATRADE, Malaysia has been building a friendly and beneficial relation with the African countries through our South-South Policy since the early ‘90s. “The TCTP is an ideal platform to fulfil the government’s commitment in strengthening the South-South Cooperation and enhancing economic cooperation between Malaysia and the African countries through knowledge empowerment,” she said.

In conjunction with the TCTP, MATRADE has also organised a seminar on “Exploring Business Opportunities in Africa”, on 1st November 2018, attended by 112 Malaysian exporters. The TCTP participants shared insights on doing business in various countries in Africa, business and investment opportunities as well as challenges in the market. The other highlight of the event was the sharing of experience by SMH Rail Sdn Bhd on doing business in Tanzania, Namibia and Zambia. At the end of the event, Malaysian companies had the opportunities to enhance their network with eight African delegates at a business networking session.

“There are ample opportunities for both Malaysian and African business community to expand their trade with each other. This initiative hopefully will further strengthen not only bilateral trade but friendship, investment and the people-to-people connectivity too, in the long run. All these are done through the development of knowledge and skills of the African future leaders attending the TCTP,” said Datuk Aureen Jean Nonis.

Malaysia’s trade with African continent as a whole expanded by 24.9 per cent from RM25.97 billion in 2016 to RM32.44 billion in 2017. The main exports to Africa were palm oil and its by-products, amounting to RM10.15 billion, approximately 48.6 per cent of the total exports to the region. Among other key exports from Malaysia to Africa include processed food, machinery, equipment & parts as well as petroleum products. The top trading partners from Africa include South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Nigeria and Ghana.

MATRADE will continue to play a key role in promoting trade relations with the African markets. Currently, the organisation’s trade overseas offices in Africa are located in Johannesburg, Nairobi, Lagos and Cairo which will help to match Malaysian companies with the African business partners. with relevant market information and business linkages as well as to link foreign buyers to the right Malaysian suppliers.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) will boost and add value its collaboration with stakeholders in key industries emphasised in Budget 2019 namely aerospace, halal, e-Commerce, logistics, creative sector and services.

Budget 2019 gave a strong focus on capacity building for Malaysian SMEs and Mid-Tier Companies, in particular women-owned and youth-owned businesses. In line with this, MATRADE will further enhance its various trade promotion initiatives and encourage joint efforts by government agencies and the private sector. This is pivotal in promoting Malaysian companies’ global expansion and ensuring a systematic coordination of trade promotion efforts.

As Malaysia’s national trade promotion organisation, MATRADE welcomes the Government’s announcement to encourage the adoption of Industry 4.0 among the Malaysian companies. We believe this will not only enhance their productivity but competitiveness too, enabling them to compete in the global market.

With various pro-business policies announced in the Budget 2019, MATRADE is confident that it will be able to provide greater value added services to the Malaysian exporters community so that the country’s economic and trade targets are met.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is leveraging on China International Import Expo’s (CIIE) 2018 focus to promote China’s imports by coordinating the participation of 80 Malaysian companies at the event. The initiative is jointly organised with the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) and Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC).

The CIIE which takes place from 5 – 10 November 2018 in Shanghai, China was announced in 2017 by China’s President Xi Jinping who described the event as one of China’s key initiatives to demonstrate China’s seriousness in opening up its economy for more imports. At the event, MATRADE will be championing Malaysian high value sectors in particular high intelligence equipment and services. Potential buyers from 81 countries are expected to meet Malaysian companies there.

The mission to the CIIE 2018 will be led by YB Datuk Darell Leiking, the Minister of International Trade and Industry. The import expo features seven sectoral pavilions namely Trade in Services; Automobile; High – end Intelligence Equipment; Consumer Electronics & Appliances; Apparel, Accessories & Consumer Goods; Medical Equipment & Healthcare Products and Food & Agricultural Products.

According to Ir. Dr. Mohd Shahreen Madros, MATRADE’s Chief Executive Officer, MATRADE has identified the CIIE as an ideal platform to assist Malaysian companies to promote their brands to China as well as to the countries along the Belt and Road route.

“Malaysia can take advantage of the opportunities available from the Belt and Road Initiatives which main objective is to promote unimpeded trade. As China is our largest trading partner since 2009, we need to ramp up efforts in facilitating Malaysian companies’ access to the market so our trade with China will remain competitive,” he said.

In 2017, Malaysia’s total trade with China was recorded at RM290.65 billion as compared to RM240.71 billion in 2016, registering a growth of 20.7 per cent. Malaysia’s exports to China were valued at RM126.15 billion while imports were recorded at RM164.50 billion in the same year. For the first eight months of 2018, Malaysia’s trade with China further expanded by 9.6 per cent to RM206.19 billion. Malaysia’s exports to China in the same period increased by 11.0 per cent. Higher exports were registered for Electrical and Electronics products, chemicals and chemical products, manufactures of metal as well as optical and scientific equipment.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is spearheading the participation of 24 Malaysian companies in the 124th China Import and Export (Canton) Fair, Phase 3 (Autumn Session) 2018 to promote the exports of Malaysia’s Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) such as food & beverages, health & wellness products and household items to China and beyond.

The event which takes place from 31 October – 4 November 2018 in Guangzhou, the city province of Guangdong is considered a strategic platform to brand the image of Malaysia as a reliable source for high quality products and services. The Malaysian companies at the event will be offering products such as sauces and paste, coconut based products, confectioneries, organic cereals and drinks, healthy snacks, durian based products, bird’s nest products, health drinks and supplements, cosmetics and skincare products, among others. In the last Canton Fair (Spring Session), Malaysian companies had received 5,400 trade enquiries and generated sales valued at RM457 million.

According to Mr. Ong Yew Chee, MATRADE’s Director of China and Northeast Asia Section, the objective of MATRADE’s participation in the Canton Fair is not only to expand Malaysia’s exports to China, but also to also leverage on the strong presence of foreign buyers at the event. "Guangdong Province is an important market, accounting for about one quarter of Malaysia’s trade with China in 2017. The initiative is one of the many efforts by MATRADE to capitalise on Guangdong’s well-established connectivity along the Maritime Silk Route as well as the border trade connection between Shenzhen, Macau and Hong Kong,” Mr. Ong said.

Guangdong’s significance to Malaysia can be reflected from its trade performance statistics. In 2017, Malaysia’s trade with Guangdong Province was valued at USD32.53 billion (RM137.35 billion) Malaysia’s exports reached USD17.33 billion (RM73.17 billion) while imports from Guangdong were valued at USD15.20 billion (RM64.18 billion). Guangdong’s major imports from Malaysia include electrical machinery products, mineral, fuel and oil, machinery, organic chemicals and plastics products.

To add value to the exhibition, MATRADE will be organising a series of B2B meetings for Malaysian companies with potential foreign buyers or business partners. The Malaysian companies will also be visiting supermarkets in Guangzhou to engage with potential distributors in China.

Since its inception in 1957, Canton Fair is organised by the China Foreign Trade Centre (CFTC) and hosted by China’s Ministry of Commerce and People’s Government of Guangdong Province. The trade fair is the biggest exhibition in China offering a wide range of product clusters, namely Food and Agricultural Products, Medical, Health and Beauty Care Products as well as Gift and Decoration Items.

MONDAY, 7 OCTOBER, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation’s (MATRADE) signature business matching, International Sourcing Programme (INSP) held at the 4th Malaysian Oil & Gas Services Exhibition (MOGSEC) 2018, has provided opportunities for 34 Malaysian oil and gas companies to access markets such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Pakistan, Turkey, Myanmar and Vietnam.

The INSP that took place from 25 -26 September 2018, matched the Malaysian companies with eight foreign companies from the countries mentioned above. Through the 86 meetings organised, a total of RM397.90 million of export potential was recorded for the Malaysian companies.

According to MATRADE’s Chief Executive Officer Ir. Dr. Mohd Shahreen Madros, the INSP helps a great deal for the local companies as they get to meet with the foreign buyers in their home country, giving them a competitive advantage in terms of cost.

“After more than two decades of promoting trade, MATRADE has developed a strong niche and skill in organising business matching locally and internationally. Our INSP for instance is effective as we only match the local companies with reliable and high quality buyers,” said Dr. Mohd Shahreen. He added by emphasising the need for Malaysian companies to continue exploring trade opportunities through the INSP as well as MATRADE other trade promotion activities to strengthen and advance the growth of Malaysian oil and gas industry.

This year’s INSP at MOGSEC, saw foreign buyers sourcing various Malaysian oil and gas services such as oil & gas equipment and parts, rig cooling services, well testing support equipment services, vessel monitoring system, remote monitoring, manpower supply and services, transportation and logistics, services gas and saturation logging and simulation studies.

A representative from one of the buyers, National Energy Group Company Limited from Myanmar, commented, “We need more equipment with new and high technology from various countries especially Malaysia to develop our offshore and deep water areas acreages. Myanmar is very keen to work with Malaysian oil & gas services providers”.

MATRADE will continue to support and encourage Malaysian oil & gas companies to expand their business activities in the international market. Other programmes in the oil and gas sector that MATRADE is coordinating in 2018 includes the Export Acceleration Mission to Baku, Azerbaijan and Almaty, Kazakhstan from in September and the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) in November.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), is collaborating with Yiwu Bureau of Commerce to organise a seminar titled Malaysia Buyer Service Centre in Yiwu – Your Link to China and Global Market. Held today at Menara MATRADE, the objective of this seminar is to introduce the Malaysia Buyer Service Centre in Yiwu, China, to Malaysian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

The Malaysia Buyer Service Centre was established by the Yiwu Bureau of Commerce as part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The Centre aims to promote the import of Malaysian products and services.

Yiwu is well-known to be the world’s largest wholesale market with more than 500,000 foreign merchants sourcing for products every year and over 15,000 foreign buyers from more than 100 countries and regions reside in Yiwu. The place now is making efforts to be an import hub in line with the BRI. Yiwu exports products to more than 210 countries globally with daily export goods reaching over 800 containers. In 2018, Yiwu’s global export volume touched USD33.66 billion. These indicate a vast opportunity for Malaysian companies to make inroads into China.

According to Dato’ Wan Latiff Wan Musa, MATRADE’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Yiwu serves as the entry point as it is well connected to other provinces in China. “It has a good connectivity to the Silk Road and the rest of the world and currently there is a rail link and highway connecting Yiwu to Europe through Central Asia,” he said.

The Malaysia Buyer Service Centre has also started its e-Commerce Portal known as the Malaysia-China e-Commerce Portal which will be a strategic platform to market Malaysian products and services to China and beyond.

In conjunction with the establishment of the Malaysia Buyer Service Centre, MATRADE in collaboration with the Yiwu Commerce Bureau will be launching a special Exports Acceleration Mission (EAM) to Yiwu from 11 to 13 November 2018. During the mission, one-to-one business meetings will be arranged for the Malaysian exporters to meet with Chinese and international buyers based in Yiwu. These meetings will provide greater linkages between Malaysian suppliers with the local business community in China and international buyers in Yiwu.

In 2017, Malaysia’s total trade with China was recorded at RM290.65 billion as compared to RM240.71 billion in 2016 - a growth of 20.7 per cent. Malaysia’s exports to China were valued at RM126.15 billion while imports recorded at RM164.50 billion. Trade with China for the first eight month of 2018 has expanded by 9.6 per cent to RM206.19 billion. Export grew by 11 per cent to RM89.31 billion, fuelled by Electrical & Electronics products, Chemicals and Chemical products, Manufactures of Metal as well as Optical and Scientific Equipment.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) has identified a big potential in Vietnam’s railway industry for Malaysian companies and will be organising its signature export mission – Export Acceleration Mission (EAM) – to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from 15 – 18 October 2018. The EAM aims to enhance Vietnamese business community awareness on Malaysian capabilities in the industry.

Organised with the support of Malaysia Rail Industry Corporation (MARIC), a total of nine Malaysian companies from various areas of expertise, namely Automated Fare Collection, Operation Control Center, Rolling Stock and Communication System, will be participating in this mission. During the mission, the companies will be meeting various government authorities, project owners, individual companies, consultants as well as trade association in both locations.

Among the authorities the participants will be meeting are Vietnam Railway Authority, Vietnam Railways, Ministry of Transport, Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Board, Transport Investment & Construction Consultant and Siemens Ltd and Airport Corporation of Vietnam, among many others.

According to Madam Yuslinawati Mohd Yusof, Director of Transport & Logistics Section at MATRADE, there is a rapid development in freight transport due population growth in Vietnam. “As the population in urban areas continues to increase, major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are attempting to ease the pressure on existing networks and reduce air pollution by building rail transit systems alongside traditional urban highway and road improvement initiatives. This gives Malaysian companies the opportunity to offer their expertise for the projects here,” she said.

The EAM will channel Malaysian rail companies’ interest in Vietnamese railway projects and highlight Malaysia’s total turnkey solution to the Vietnamese government and operators in the railway industry. “The EAM also aims to update potential partners in Vietnam the railway technologies by Malaysian companies,” Yuslinawati said.

This mission will also be championed by the private sector with anchor partner such as CMC Engineering Sdn Bhd who will be bidding for the HCM City and Hanoi Metro Lines project. MATRADE is working together with MARIC and CMC Engineering Sdn Bhd to promote the development of a consortium to provide a solution for the construction of HCM City and Hanoi Metro Lines.

In 2017, Malaysia’s exports of railway parts and components recorded an increase of 12 per cent to RM257.7 million compared to RM230 million in 2016. Most of the products were exported mainly to Panama, United States of America and Singapore. Imports decreased by 64.8 per cent to RM431.8 million compared to RM1.23 billion in 2016. Our major imports sources were mainly from China, Austria and Canada.

WEDNESDAY, 3 OCTOBER, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Malaysia Aerospace Industry Association (MAIA) and Indonesia Aircraft Component Manufacturer Association (INACOM) as an initiative for both countries to improve on the aerospace industry development. The MoU was inked at the Kuala Lumpur International Aerospace Business Convention (KLIABC) 2018, the region’s largest B2B gathering for the aerospace industry.

The MoU was signed by the presidents of MAIA and INACOM, Naguib Mohd Nor and Andi Alisjahbana respectively and was witnessed by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) representatives. Malaysia and Indonesia are two of the largest and oldest Aerostructures manufacturing industries in SEA. “Both countries have explored both the development of indigenous aircraft programs and through these have established themselves as key producers of aircraft components for companies such as Airbus and Boeing,” said Naguib.

The collaboration is aimed at developing aerospace capabilities and growing business opportunities in the region. The MOU explores specifically human capital development, research & technology, and the sharing of industrial best practices.

Original Equipment Manufacturers like Airbus, Boeing and Rolls Royce have been developing internationalisation strategies over the past few years with Asia Pacific being a focus growth region. SEA specifically has seen a boom in aircraft purchases with companies like Air Asia and Malindo continuously growing their fleets. This MoU aims to provide a platform for aerospace businesses in Malaysia and Indonesia to align their strategies to take advantage of this growing business opportunity.

The support of the MATRADE, also the organiser of the KLIABC 2018, has been vital in catalysing bilateral cooperation between MAIA and INACOM. MAIA and INACOM’s initial engagement was during MATRADE’s delegation visit to Aerospace & Defense Supplier Summit (A&DSS) 2018 in Seattle.

The MoU signing is part of MATRADE’s continuous effort to match-make MAIA with aerospace associations from other part of the world to further grow the sector and its exports. 2017 was a record year for Malaysia’s aerospace exports with RM8.51 billion of exports registered, an increase of 54 per cent compared to 2016. Malaysia’s aerospace main exports are parts & components, particularly for wings, empennages and fuselages of aircraft. Made-in-Malaysia parts & components are of the highest quality, so much so they are being used for the single aisle Airbus A320, Boeing 737 as well as the larger twin aisles Airbus A350 and Boeing 787.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: World’s top aerospace companies, the likes of Airbus Group, Rolls Royce, Boeing, Safran France, Ruag Aviation, GIFAS (French Aerospace Industries Association), FL Technics, Embraer, Thales and Pratt & Whitney will be in Kuala Lumpur for the next three days to scout for their future partners and suppliers among Malaysian companies at the country’s iconic B2B aerospace trade event, Kuala Lumpur International Aerospace Business Convention (KLIABC) 2018.

Organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) in collaboration with Malaysia Aerospace Industry Association (MAIA) and ABE France, the KLIABC – its third edition this year – marks a significant achievement for the Malaysian aerospace industry, as it gains its position as the region’s largest B2B gathering for the aerospace industry.

Recognised as one of the key aerospace events in South East Asia, the KLIABC is an avenue to support Malaysian companies’ inclusion in the global supply chain. The event gathered 150 organisations from 21 countries who comprise decision makers searching for Malaysian partners in sectors such as parts & components manufacturing, engineering & design services, Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) as well as systems integration & maintenance. The event features a one-day conference (2 October 2018) and two days of B2B meetings (3 – 4 October 2018).

Apart from the global names, the participating major local players at the event include Air Asia, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad, CTRM, UMW Aerospace, Dviation Group and Strand Aerospace Malaysia. A total of 63 Malaysian companies are taking part in the event.

With the introduction of Malaysia Aerospace Blueprint 2030, Malaysia is set to be a major player in the aerospace sector in the Asia Pacific region. Among the strategies outlined in the Blueprint are to capture new markets and strengthening the local supply chain. In realising the aspirations set in the Blueprint, the KLIABC was introduced in 2014 to match local companies with global partners. By 2030, Malaysia’s second Aerospace Blueprint will be introduced, targeting to generate an annual revenue of USD14.3 billion (RM55.2 billion) and create more than 32,000 high income jobs in Malaysia.

According to MATRADE’s Chief Executive Officer, Ir. Dr. Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen Madros, the global promotion of the industry will definitely open more doors for Malaysian companies to capitalise on the huge global demands. “As Malaysia diversifies her core export industries – from commodity-driven to high value technology industries – there is a need to intensify promotion of the new industries, such as the aerospace industry,” Dr. Shahreen said.

2017 was a record year for Malaysia’s aerospace exports with RM8.51 billion of exports registered, an increase of 54 per cent compared to 2016. Malaysia’s aerospace main exports are parts & components, particularly for wings, empennages and fuselages of aircraft. Made-in-Malaysia parts & components are of the highest quality, so much so they are being used for the single aisle Airbus A320, Boeing 737 as well as the larger twin aisles Airbus A350 and Boeing 787.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: In an effort to highlight Malaysian fashion designers to potential buyers, distributors and partners in the United States (US), Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and the Association of Bumiputera Women in Business and Profession Malaysia (PENIAGAWATI) jointly organised a business mission called Malaysia Fashion & Business Mission to New York.

The business mission started on 31 August 2018 and will end on 10 September 2018. The collaboration between MATRADE and PENIAGAWATI aims to capitalise the opportunities in the US fashion market, currently valued at US$ 326 billion (RM 1.30 trillion).

A total of 37 Malaysian companies are participating in this business mission and they offer various fashion products, such as textiles, apparels and footwear, among others. Among the activities arranged for this mission are business meetings with the American buyers, a roundtable meeting with the US Fashion Institute Association (USFIA), visit to the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) as well as to showrooms and boutiques of Malaysian designers based in New York.

Apart from coordinating the B2B activities, all MATRADE’s Trade Offices in the US have also invited the fashion business community in New York and other parts of the US such as fashion buyers, boutique owners, media & fashion bloggers, food importers and tour & travel agents to attend the networking session.

“Malaysia’s exports of fashion products have shown steady growth over the years and the US is one of our target markets for this segment. Plus the US is one of our major trading partners,” says Senior Director of the Export Promotion and Market Access Division, MATRADE, Mr Mohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz.

In 2017, Malaysia’s total exports of fashion rose 10.4 per cent to reach RM15.33 billion, as compared to 2016. For the first seven months this year, exports of fashion products were valued RM8.69 billion. The US remained Malaysia’s largest fashion export destination with total exports recorded at RM2.23 billion, followed by Japan (RM1.54 billion) and Turkey (RM1.29 billion).

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and the Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council (MREPC) are joining forces to co-organise MATRADE’s signature business matching programme - International Sourcing Programme (INSP) - in conjunction with the International Rubber Glove Conference & Exhibition (IRGCE) 2018 today.

IRGCE is a biennial event organised by the Malaysia Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (MARGMA) and co-hosted by MREPC. This year’s IRGCE is the 9th series since its inception in 2002.

Although MATRADE and MREPC have been an integral part of IRGCE, this would be its first ever collaborative effort in bringing foreign buyers to meet with Malaysian manufacturers. Both MATRADE and MREPC, through their offices abroad, have identified a total of 33 foreign buyers from 11 countries who have expressed interest in sourcing Malaysian-made rubber gloves and other rubber medical devices. This presents a good opportunity for both parties to introduce foreign buyers to other Malaysian medical devices as well as rubber-based products.

According to Ir Dr Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen, Chief Executive Officer of MATRADE, MATRADE and MREPC are confident that the INSP during IRGCE 2018 will bring a positive impact to both buyers as well as local manufacturers. “Though many see the glove industry as an established sector, pockets of opportunities continue to exist around the world, particularly in emerging markets (India, China, Brazil, Turkey and Russia) As Malaysia’s trade promotion agency, we find business matching initiatives such as the INSP as an effective platform for Malaysian exporters to meet with high-quality buyers from around the world, without having to travel overseas,” he said.

MATRADE and MREPC will also explore other mutually beneficial opportunities for further collaboration over the next several months.

Medical gloves contributed RM10.24 billion (51.7 per cent) to Malaysia’s total exports of medical devices valued at RM19.78 billion in 2017. During January to June 2018, exports of medical gloves further grew by 6 per cent to RM8.48 billion from RM7.95 billion in 2017.

Ms Low Yoke Kiew, Chief Executive Officer of MREPC said “Malaysia’s exports of rubber gloves in 2017 hit an all-time high, benefiting from the synchronised recovery in global growth and demand. Given the strong export performance in 2017, Malaysia is expected to continue to dominate the world market for rubber gloves especially medical gloves for use in the healthcare sector.”

“The industry is confident to achieve the target of securing at least 65 per cent of global exports of rubber gloves by 2020. MREPC will continue to undertake marketing efforts to increase awareness on glove use and to promote high-quality gloves from Malaysia to further drive the growth of the rubber glove industry,” she mentioned.

MATRADE and MREPC will continue to undertake specific promotional programmes in Medical Device and Healthcare through participation in the upcoming MEDICA Dusseldorf 2018 (12 – 15 November 2018) and Arab Health 2019 (28 – 31 January 2019). MATRADE will also be organising an Export Acceleration Mission (EAM) to Europe (Netherlands & Belgium) on Medical Devices (7 – 9 November 2018).

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation’s (MATRADE) customised Women Exporters Development Programme (WEDP) was established in 2014. Its aim is to specifically nurture women exporters - an often overlooked segment of the exporter community, by offering a three-year tailored programme to grow women-owned SMEs into global exporters. WEDP provides women entrepreneurs with business coaching, skills enhancement training, international business exposure, market immersions, networking and mentoring sessions as well as leadership and entrepreneurial development. Companies in the programme also receive support grants that help to defray costs in conducting marketing and promotional visits to international trade fairs, international seminars and workshops and other international trade promotion events organised by MATRADE worldwide.

Since WEDP’s inception, a total of 251 companies have graduated while 73 companies are currently enrolled in the program. For the year 2018 from January to May, WEDP companies collectively reported total export sales of RM7.24 million. Among the products and services offered by participants of WEDP are: Food and Beverages, Lifestyle products, ICT, Electrical & Electronic products and Services.

MATRADE’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Exporters Development, Sharimahton Mat Saleh said that WEDP was introduced with a specific goal - to nurture global champions among Malaysian women-owned SMEs. “The WEDP will be the impetus for women-owned Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia to build resilience and competitiveness and tenacity. MATRADE believes that women-owned businesses play a crucial role in advancing the country’s trade performance and in expanding the pool of exporters in the country. Over time, this will help increase SMEs’ export contribution for Malaysia to 23 per cent by 2020, help generate jobs and contribute to GDP of the nation” she said.

In the case of Hana Medic Sdn Bhd, MATRADE’s WEDP has positively impacted its export performance. The company completed and graduated from WEDP in 2016, and has since expanded its export coverage to include new markets of United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Kingdom and China.

Hana Medic Sdn Bhd specialises in medical and personal care products, with its main focus on a no-rinse moisturising hand sanitiser product, formulated for hospitals and medical centers. Being a Malaysian SME in the medical device and consumables market which is largely dominated by multinational companies can pose real challenges, but Hana Medic has withstood and overcome barriers, and successfully widened its market access into more than five new territories globally. Working through established partners in the foreign markets, Hana Medic’s hand sanitisers are now used in many hospitals including Sultan Qaboos University Hospital in Oman as well as hospitals in Macao, Brunei, Myanmar and Shenzen, China.

The company’s commitment to exports has led to its successful attainment of several global standards and certifications. Hana Medic has Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), ISO 9001: 2008 (Quality Management) and ISO 13485:2003 (Medical Devices-Quality Management) and a Manufacturing Establishment License from Medical Device Authority: (Section 15(1) of the Act 737). The company’s products are also certified Halal by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM).

According to Hana Medic’s Managing Director Dr. Norayati Abd Majid, MATRADE’s WEDP has been instrumental in the company’s global growth. “The programme gave us not only the knowledge on exporting but also the confidence to introduce our range of products to consumers with different preferences and to explore markets that have different standards and regulations,” she said. To date, Hana Medic’s export business has contributed 30 per cent to the company’s revenue.

The company is now diversifying into health foods with the launching of its latest product - a mixed fruit juice called JustGreat consisting of a cocktail of Soursop, Mango, Calamansi Lime and selected natural honey. The formulation of JustGreat was jointly developed with researchers from Malaysia Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MARDI), where agricultural scientists made a breakthrough in the extraction and conservation of a free form of high antioxidant concoction containing Flavonoids and Phenolic Acid through a rigorous fermentation process.

Developed after nine years of R&D that cost RM2.5 million, Hana Medic now owns the exclusive rights to this high anti-oxidant juice formulation. JustGreat has won numerous prestigious awards in Malaysia and abroad. The juice garnered the best invention category taking the Double Gold Medal – British Invention Award 2012, Gold Medal in Outstanding Innovation 2013 from iENA Germany, and Gold Medal – High Free Phenolic Acid Juice from The British Invention Show 2012. Moving forward, Hana Medic is planning to introduce JustGreat to Indonesia, Myanmar, Australia, and Fiji.

WEDNESDAY, 1 AUGUST 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and China Certification & Inspection (CCIC) joined forces to organise a seminar to boost Malaysian exporters understanding on CCIC Traceability System that was introduced in Malaysia in April this year.

Attended by 200 participants, the seminar was graced by YB Dr. Ong Kian Ming, Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI), Ir. Dr Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen Madros, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MATRADE and Mr. Fujun, CEO of CCIC Malaysia.

The CCIC Traceability System is a service that provides a support for full supply chain traceability information, from production to consumption. This is an information required by the Chinese Inspection Authority, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China (AQSIQ) imposed to all exporters keen to sell in China.

With the CCIC Traceability System, the inspection and verification of products would be done before their arrival at ports, expediting the AQSIQ clearance process. The data and information from the inspection outcome by CCIC are acknowledged by AQSIQ.

CCIC Traceability System is accessible by the public which allows the consumers and other users to scan and generate a QR code using their mobile phones. This helps consumers in China verify the authenticity of the products within just three seconds.

According to MATRADE’s CEO, the traceability system can improve the brand image and enhance the product’s value. “The system helps consumers in China overcome the issue of buying fake products and this is a major issue in China Malaysian companies should be wary of. To date, only four Malaysian companies are utilising the CCIC Traceability System. We hope more companies planning to enter China or are already there to use the system to strengthen their products credibility. This in the long run will contribute to branding Malaysian products as reliable,” Dr. Shahreen said.

China is Malaysia’s largest trading destination for many years since 2009. In the period of January to May 2018, Malaysia’s trade with China has increased by 5 per cent to reach RM122.35 billion compared with the same period in 2017. Exports to China have gone up by 6.2 per cent to register RM53.12 billion. This was mainly due to higher exports of Electrical & Electronics products, Chemicals and Chemical products, Manufactures of Metal, Optical &
Scientific Equipment as well as Machinery, Equipment & Parts. Meanwhile, imports from China have increased by 4 per cent to RM69.23 billion.

MATRADE as Malaysia’s export promotion agency offers various facilitation for Malaysian companies in areas such as market intelligence and trade advisory as well as export promotion and exporters development programmes. The agency, under Ministry of International Trade and Industry, has 46 trade offices around the world of which four are in China’s main cities - Beijing (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), Guangzhou (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), Shanghai (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), Chengdu(This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) as well as Hong Kong
(This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

FRIDAY, 27 JULY 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: In an effort to boost business partnerships in the lifestyle sector among ASEAN member countries, Yayasan Budi Penyayang Malaysia (PENYAYANG) with the support of Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) will be organising the ASEAN Lifestyle Week (ALW) 2018 from 8-9 September 2018 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur.

The event presents an opportunity for Malaysia to lead in yet an untapped segment across the region, and make Kuala Lumpur a one-stop-centre for buyers and sellers from across the world to congregate and do business, ultimately benefitting Malaysia’s trade. The ALW 2018 will showcase the best that ASEAN Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have to offer in the lifestyle sector, under the backdrop of ASEAN’s economic and cultural diversity.

According to MATRADE’s Director of Lifestyle & Life Sciences Unit, MATRADE sees the ALW as a platform to grow Malaysian lifestyle sector by capitalising on the influence of ASEAN and its economic community. “The lifestyle sector is a growing segment in Malaysia’s trade and brings about not only economic values but social values too. This region, with a market size of 630 million people is the world’s seventh largest economy and has a strong purchasing power,” he said.

In 2017, Malaysia’s exports of lifestyle products or also known as soft exports registered a 4.1 per cent increase to reach RM39.18 billion as compared to the previous year. Main lifestyle exports include textiles, apparels & footwear which rose by 10.4 percent (RM15.33 billion), followed by furniture which recorded a growth of 6.4 percent (RM10.14 billion). The main export destination for Malaysia’s lifestyle sector include the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan and Australia. A total of RM15.42 billion of lifestyle products were exported for the first 5 months this year.

For ASEAN market, Malaysia exported RM10.36 billion of lifestyle products in 2017 with the growth of 9.5 per cent compared to previous year. Singapore remained as the top export destination with export value at RM5.57 billion followed by Thailand and Indonesia with RM1.38 billion and RM1.18 billion respectively. In the past 5 months this year, Malaysia exported a total of RM4.21 billion to this particular market.

The inaugural ALW is expected to attract 20,000 trade representatives and consumers. The event will also feature segments as follows:

• Alternative Medicines
• Arts & Crafts
• Children’s Education
• Consumer Products
• Entertainment
• Fashion Goods/Jewellery/Accessories
• Food Products
• Furniture/Home Décor/Home Living
• Health
• Hobbies & Recreation
• Leisure
• Lifestyle Technology Trends
• Photography
• Soft Furnishing
• Spa & Wellness
• Sports/Gear/Gadget/Fitness Equipment
• Travel & Tourism

With a theme, “Delivering Wholesome Solutions”, the exhibition will be held in conjunction with the prestigious Piala Seri Endon Batik Design Competition (PSE) under the auspices of the Malaysia Batik - Crafted for the World Movement, which is under the patronage of Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi, the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia. The PSE is also organised by PENYAYANG.

To kickstart the promotion of the ALW 2018, the ALW website (www.aseanlifestyleweek.com) has been launched as a medium to disseminate information to the exhibitors, visitors and lifestyle industry players.

FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) would like to clarify that it is not the organiser nor the supporting agency for the Asia Islamic Fashion Week (AIFW) 2018 which was scheduled to be held at MATRADE Exhibition Convention Centre (MECC) on 26 July 2018 until 29 July 2018.

The organiser of the AIFW 2017 is AIFW Sdn Bhd and the decision to discontinue the event at the premise was done by an independent private venue operator of the MECC and not MATRADE. The AIFW 2018 did not materialise due to the inability of the organiser to secure the payment to utilise the space at the MECC.

MATRADE would also like to emphasise that the MECC is located within the MATRADE building but is not equivalent to MATRADE as a trade promotion agency. The operation of the convention centre is run by an independent venue operator under a contractual agreement, and not by MATRADE.

THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: In an effort to boost Malaysia’s exports to West Africa through Senegal, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) in collaboration with the Republic of Senegal Embassy in Malaysia organised a seminar titled “Trade and Investment Opportunities in Senegal” at Menara MATRADE today.

The seminar was officiated by YB. Dr. Ong Kian Ming, Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry, Malaysia and Honorable Khoudia Mbaye, Minister for the Promotion of Investments, Partnerships and Development of State Teleservices of the Republic of Senegal accompanied by Dato’ Wan Latiff Wan Musa, MATRADE’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer.

The seminar featured speakers from various agencies such as the National Agency for Promotion of Investment and Major Works (APIX), Senegalese Export Promotion Agency (ASEPEX) and Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The speakers shared with the participants insights on the current business environment in Senegal, trade and investment opportunities there as well the roles of the private sector in promoting economic and commercial relations between Senegal and Malaysia.

Other highlights at the event included an experience sharing session by Malaysian companies operating in Senegal namely Probase, IRIS, EDMARK and QNet. During the event, Malaysian companies present also had the opportunities to network with 30 business delegates from Senegal through a business networking session coordinated by MATRADE.

According to Dato’ Wan Latiff the event was organised to update Malaysian companies with Senegal’s latest developments and areas of collaboration Malaysian companies can explore with potential Senegalese partners. “For Africa, we have identified a lot of opportunities for Malaysian service providers in areas such as infrastructure and development projects,” he said.

“There are a lot of opportunities in Africa, particularly in Senegal. Over the years we can see there is a growing interest from the Malaysian companies to supply their products or services to the market. Apart from seminars, workshops and trade talks, MATRADE also organises exhibitions and trade missions to provide various platforms for our industry players to penetrate Senegal and Africa at large,” Dato’ Wan Latiff added.

To complement the seminar, MATRADE helped facilitated a roundtable business meeting and briefing session between Malaysian Incorporated Services Berhad with the Senegalese delegates to highlight Malaysia’s capabilities in professional services for the African market. MATRADE encourages Malaysian companies keen to explore Senegal to contact MATRADE’s Lagos office by emailing to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

FRIDAY, 20 JULY 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) facilitates the participation of 40 Malaysian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the 4th IMT-GT & BIMP-EAGA Trade Fair 2018 which started yesterday until 22 July 2018 in an effort to push Malaysian SMEs expansion in ASEAN growth areas.

The event that takes place at Hatyai in Songkhla is set to expose the Malaysian SMEs to the export opportunities in Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) and Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) economic area.

Held biennially and hosted by the BIMP-EAGA & IMT-GT member countries on a rotational basis, the trade fair is one of the biggest exhibition platforms in the sub-regional area, where ASEAN business community gathers to promote and market their products and businesses as well as exchange new trends and knowledge on emerging technology.

The IMT-GT is a sub-regional cooperation initiated in 1993 by the governments of Malaysia , Indonesia and Thailand to accelerate the economic transformation in less developed states and provinces of the three countries. Meanwhile, the BIMP-EAGA initiatives were launched in 1994 to accelerate the economic development in areas that are geographically distant from their national capitals, yet in strategic proximity to each other. BIMP-EAGA area in one of the world's most resource regions that includes the Heart of Borneo and Sulu-Sulawesi Marine ecoregion.

Among the initiatives planned during the trade fair, include business meetings, networking session and a seminar on Business Opportunities in Halal & Logistics in the ASEAN region. The key sectors showcased at the event are food & beverages, agriculture products, lifestyle & personal care, healthcare, green technology and tourism-related services.

According to MATRADE’s ASEAN & Oceania Section’s Director YM Raja Badrulnizam Raja Kamalzaman, IMT-GT & BIMP-EAGA Trade Fair 2018 is an ideal platform to bridge Malaysian companies with the ASEAN counterparts apart from championing the bilateral relationship of Malaysia with ASEAN member countries. “Malaysian SMEs must take the opportunity to explore ASEAN as proximity is not an issue and connectivity among the countries has improved tremendously over the years. There are various pockets of opportunities for Malaysian exporters to fill with a market size of 620 million people and MATRADE with its eight offices in ASEAN is ready to provide on-the-ground insights for Malaysian SMEs to ready themselves,” he said.

ASEAN remains one of Malaysia’s key trading partners. In the period of January to May 2018, trade with ASEAN stood at RM204.23 billion with export at RM115.32 billion and import RM88.91 billion. Top performing markets within ASEAN for Malaysia are Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Philippines.

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: In championing the growth of Malaysian aerospace industry globally, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is organising its signature programme Export Acceleration Mission (EAM) in conjunction with the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) 2018 in the United Kingdom, along with the support of the private sector from the aerospace industry.

Taking place from 16 – 20 July 2018, the initiative is an embodiment of the public-private synergy in accelerating the trade of Malaysian products and services in the aerospace industry.
The participation is the country’s third involvement in the FIA and among the collaborators involved are National Aerospace Industry Coordinating Office (NAICO), Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), Aerospace Malaysia Innovation Centre (AMIC), UMW Group and Invest Selangor Berhad. Seventeen aerospace companies in various pocket of the aerospace industry represent Malaysia in the mission.

The EAM aims to explore any collaboration opportunities for the Malaysian companies with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and Tier 1 & Tier 2 suppliers in the aerospace manufacturing, engineering services, precision parts, components as well as Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services from around the globe.

According to Chief Executive Officer of MATRADE, Ir. Dr. Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen Madros, local companies must capitalise on the strong demand for products and services in the aerospace industry so Malaysia’s rapport as a high-value exporting nation can be elevated. “Geographically, we are well positioned and currently, Malaysia is home to more than 230 aerospace companies. This reflects the dynamic growth of the industry and the local companies must collaborate with the global players so they can be part of the world’s supply chain. Once this materialises, there will also be a transfer of knowledge and skills for the industry too,” he said.

In Malaysia, the top performing sector within the aerospace industry is parts & components manufacturing. In 2017, Malaysia’s exports of aerospace parts and components recorded an increase of 53.4 per cent to register RM8.5 billion compared to figure in 2016. The top export destinations last year were Indonesia, Singapore, China, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Held biennially, the FIA is one of the world largest aerospace trade exhibitions and is attended by big names like Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Embraer. The event also attracts 98 military delegations from 66 countries and 29 civil delegations from 22 countries. “The FIA is one of the best platforms for Malaysian aerospace industry players to network, forge partnerships and do business. It provides a springboard for
Malaysian companies to access the world markets,” Mohd Shahreen said.

ISNIN, 9 JULAI 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Perbadanan Pembangunan Perdagangan Luar Malaysia (MATRADE) mengambil inisiatif untuk menyemarakkan semangat keusahawanan global dalam kalangan usahawan-usahawan Kelantan dengan menganjurkan seminar PKSGlobal@KB pada hari ini.

Seminar ini mengetengahkan topik peluang pasaran global, strategi mengakses pasaran global dan fasilitasi-fasilitasi MATRADE untuk syarikat-syarikat Malaysia, terutamanya Perusahaan Kecil dan Sederhana (PKS) di Kelantan. Inisiatif ini adalah sejajar dengan misi MATRADE sebagai agensi promosi perdagangan Malaysia untuk meningkatkan jumlah pengeksport di Malaysia.

Sesi seminar ini adalah kesinambungan beberapa inisiatif MATRADE sebelum ini di Kelantan untuk memupuk lebih ramai usahawan dari Pantai Timur menjadi jaguh eksport negara. Antara usaha-usaha terdahulu yang dijalankan di Kelantan adalah Srikandi Global @Jeli, Taklimat DFTZ Alibaba dan Seminar Panduan Asas Penghantaran Barangan Bagi Eksport & Halal Logistik. Pengarah Kanan Bahagian Transformasi dan Perdagangan Digital, En Amran Yem berkata usaha untuk mencari bakat-bakat eksport di Kelantan dilakukan berikutan adanya sifat keusahawanan yang tinggi dalam kalangan komuniti Kelantan.

“Bagi seminar kali ini, selain memberi penerangan tentang sokongan-sokongan yang diberi oleh MATRADE kepada usahawan, kami turut menjalankan beberapa sesi perkongsian pengalaman daripada syarikat-syarikat yang berjaya di peringkat global dan pengalaman MATRADE dalam memudahcara ekspedisi eksport syarikat Malaysia. Kami dapati sesi perkongsian sebegini dapat membantu menyampaikan mesej tentang eksport dengan efektif kepada komuniti usahawan di Pantai Timur,” kata beliau.

Sesi turun padang untuk membimbing usahawan tempatan dilihat penting dalam mendekatkan mereka dengan aktiviti mengeksport. Ini secara tidak langsung akan membantu meningkatkan sumbangan PKS dalam eksport daripada 18.6 peratus yang dicatat sekarang kepada 23 peratus menjelang tahun 2020.

“MATRADE berharap dengan adanya program seperti ini warga Kelantan akan dapat mendekatkan diri dengan agensi Kerajaan seperti MATRADE. Ramai usahawan mungkin merasa segan untuk berurusan dengan kami memandangkan kami terlibat dalam banyak aktiviti promosi perdagangan di peringkat global. Namun, kini dengan adanya pelbagai laman e-dagang dan Internet berkelajuan tinggi, akses ke pasaran global menjadi lebih mudah. Atas faktor ini, aktiviti eksport kini bukan lagi tertumpu kepada syarikat besar semata-mata,” ujar En Amran.

Selain seminar PKSGlobal@KB ini, MATRADE melalui pejabat Wilayah Timur akan terus mengadakan seminar di beberapa kawasan lain di Pantai Timur antaranya di Kuala Terengganu pada bulan Julai dan September, serta Kuantan pada bulan Ogos.

“Selain itu, kami akan melawat ke beberapa kilang di Pantai Timur yang berpotensi untuk mengeksport dan akan mengenal pasti masalah dan cabaran mereka sebelum memanjangkan bantuan yang diperlukan kepada syarikat-syarikat berkenaan,” kata En Amran.

MATRADE yang diperkenalkan pada tahun 1993 di bawah Kementerian Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri menyambut ulangtahunnya yang ke-25 tahun ini. Agensi ini menjalankan aktiviti Promosi Eksport dan Pembangunan Pengeksport buat syarikat tempatan dan bertanggungjawab untuk menjadikan Malaysia sebuah negara perdagangan yang kompetitif.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) would like to inform that YB Dato’ Dr. Noraini Ahmad, the Member of Parliament of Parit Sulong, has resigned as the Chairman of MATRADE on 15 May 2018 after serving the organisation for five years.

YB Dato’ Dr. Noraini was appointed the Chairman of MATRADE in October 2013, a position she assumed from YB Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong. YB Dato’ Dr Noraini was appointed by YB Dato’ Mustapa Mohamed, who was the former Minister of International Trade & Industry.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) calls upon Malaysian companies particularly the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to boost their engagements with the Government agencies such as MATRADE and utilise the financial assistances available to help their export business.

In this regard, MATRADE organised a seminar titled “How to Leverage on the Financial Assistance Provided by MATRADE”. The event is timely to enhance the SMEs awareness on MATRADE’s financial assistance especially because financial constraint has been identified as one of the key issues hindering SMEs from international expansion. The seminar was attended by over 190 participants from various industries including business services.

MATRADE provides financial assistance through its various initiatives such as the Market Development Grant (MDG), Services Export Fund (SEF) and eTRADE, among others. MATRADE’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer Puan Sharimahton Mat Saleh said MATRADE regularly conducts engagement to promote its financial assistances. However, there are still a number of companies who are unaware of the assistances. “The offerings are in the form of reimbursable grant or fund and some are paired with handholding activities aimed at building the SMEs ability and skills in exporting,” she said.

One of MATRADE’s most popular financial assistance is the Market Development Grant (MDG). It is a scheme to assist SMEs, service providers, trade and industry associations, chambers of commerce and professional bodies to undertake export promotion activities. Companies can apply for a reimbursable grant based on the eligible export promotional activities up to a ceiling of RM200,000. To date, the MDG has benefitted 7,811 Malaysian companies that have penetrated markets such as ASEAN, China, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Turkey and Japan, just to name a few.

Apart from the MDG, companies in the services sector can apply for MATRADE’s Services Export Fund (SEF). It is a financial assistance introduced in 2015 in collaboration with Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Berhad (MIDF) to assist Malaysian services providers expand internationally. The assistance is in the form of reimbursable grants and soft loans up to RM5 million per company. The SEF has assisted 88 Malaysian companies in industries such as education & training, oil & gas services, engineering services, ICT and e-commerce solutions, among others.

Other programmes by MATRADE that offer financial assistance include the GoEx Programme, Mid-Tier Companies Development Programme (MTCDP) and Bumiputera, Women & Youth Exporters Development Programme (BWYEDP). For more information on these assistances companies may visit www.matrade.gov.my or email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: The National trade promotion agency, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and Malaysian e-commerce platform technology provider, AVANA are collaborating to boost the participation of Malaysian companies in export by utilising the power of e-commerce and social media.

The collaboration, aimed at empowering Malaysian sellers to break into the world of digital economy, will see AVANA as the new e-commerce platform under MATRADE’s signature programme, eTRADE. The effort will help Malaysian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) enter the global market cost-effectively.

With the addition of AVANA as the new e-commerce platform under the eTRADE Programme, MATRADE believes there will be more opportunities for SMEs to kickstart their venture into cross-border e-commerce. With its easy-to-use and user-friendly interface, AVANA's platform helps merchants to set up an attractive and professional e-commerce storefront that is integrated with social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, blogs and others. On the AVANA platform, merchants can upload their products to a centralised inventory, showcase those products, create brand awareness online and automate the sales process. As such, local entrepreneurs can start their online business fast and hassle-free.

According to MATRADE’s Chief Executive Officer, Ir. Dr. Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen Madros, by leveraging the power of e-commerce and social media as well as Malaysian’s high engagement in both e-commerce and social media, this initiative can help to expand the pool of exporters in Malaysia.

“MATRADE is always open to working with the private sector to push our local brands overseas. This collaboration is good as it eases the access to global markets using a mechanism most entrepreneurs are familiar with,” said Mohd Shahreen adding that the effort is one of MATRADE’s initiatives to increase the export contribution of SMEs from the current 17.8 per cent to 23 per cent by 2020.

The collaboration between MATRADE and AVANA targets a total of 2,000 local merchants and brand owners who are export-ready to market their products overseas via e-commerce and social media platforms. This programme involves intensive education, training and monitoring and the programme takes three months to ensure participants’ success. The content of the training will cover topics on market research, digital marketing, e-commerce, and other topics that will equip the merchants with digital skills
to help push their business to the next level.

“We are excited to work with MATRADE in empowering local SMEs to export. This collaboration is a positive step forward for our SMEs to succeed in the digital economy. Access to market is now available to every business, regardless of how big or small you
are through social media platforms, such as Facebook among many others. This fact, coupled with the availability of automation tools and e-commerce platforms like AVANA, will equalise the playing field for SMEs to compete with the bigger brands,” says the CEO and Co-Founder of AVANA, Luqman Adris.

Applications to participate in this programme will be open to all Malaysian brand owners and entrepreneurs. As an incentive for participants, 10 successful entrepreneurs that register the
highest growth will be given a certificate from MATRADE apart from enjoying other rewards from AVANA such as advanced digital marketing trainings and access to exclusive e-commerce workshops.

The eTRADE Programme by MATRADE was incepted in October 2014. The programme provides assistance in the form of financial incentive valued up to RM5,000 to partially cover the fee of companies joining any of the e-commerce platforms listed under the eTRADE Programme. There are 15 international and local-owned e-commerce platforms listed under the eTRADE Programme such as Amazon.com, eBay.com, Alibaba.com, BuyMalaysia.com, DagangHalal.com, AladdinStreet.com and others. Through the eTRADE Programme, Malaysian SMEs have been able to penetrate export markets such as the United States of America, China, United Arab Emirates, ASEAN and more. So far, the eTRADE programme has helped over 2,300 Malaysian SMEs.

To register in the eTRADE Programme, go to www.matrade.gov.my/en/etrade and for details on Avana visit https://avana.asia/export. For more information, you can email MATRADE at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or you can contact AVANA at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

MONDAY, 25 JUNE 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Consortium of Mid-Tier Companies (MCMTC) and Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) are calling for more Malaysian Mid-Tier companies (MTCs), particularly the youth-owned and agriculture-based MTCs, to be more involved in exporting in the effort to create more export champions from Malaysia.

This was what transpired following the MCMTC Youth Empowerment Programme held at Kuala Lumpur today. The youth-themed event, graced by YB Tuan Haji Salahuddin Ayub, Minister of Agriculture, was the first event hosted by MCMTC targeting at MTCs managed by second-generation entrepreneurs.

According to Puan Sharimahton Mat Salleh, Deputy CEO of MATRADE, local MTCs can ready themselves in international trade by participating in exporters development programmes such as Mid-Tier Companies Development Programme (MTCDP) by MATRADE. Once export-ready, the MTCs can take part in various export promotion initiatives to penetrate a market relevant to them.

“It is crucial for MTCs to invest in technology especially those in the agricultural sector. We see a lot of potential for agri-business to succeed in the global scene but they must want to be part of the global supply chain first. Strategic collaborations with agencies in both the public and private sector is crucial to ensure they get all the support they need. Apart from that, product differentiations and clarity in the value proposition must be also given due attention,” she said.

The participation of more agricultural-based MTCs in export will help to improve trade performance, reduce trade deficit and dependant on import as well as strengthen food security.

The second-generation entrepreneurs who are youth and are running their MTCs must also be bold to transform their businesses to be on par as the other businesses around the world, especially those in the developed markets.

Mr Callum Chen, President of MCMTC said that it is also important for MTCs to instil cultures that foster collaboration, creativity and innovation to be successful in the international markets. MCMTC is actively working with MATRADE to drive the growth of Malaysian MTCs. Aside from today’s event, MCMTC also organises factory tours to selected MTCs and CEO sharing sessions highlighting real life business experiences.

The MTCDP is a high-impact customised programme for MTCs with an annual revenue of between RM50 million to RM500 million in the manufacturing sector and RM20 million to RM500 million in the services sector. Currently, a total of 42 MTCs from multiple sectors are undergoing the diagnostic phase for Wave 5 of the MTCDP.

Under the MTCDP, each MTC will undergo 9-month customised programme such as the diagnostic phase where companies identify their export strategies and go-to market route. Key elements of the programme include access to export markets, market intelligence and sessions with experts.

From 2014 to 2017, MATRADE has assisted 173 MTCs through the MTCDP. The main sectors of MTCs under MTCDP include electrical & electronics (35 MTCs), food and beverages (22), building materials and construction (20), automotive parts and components (16) and plastics products(14). In 2017, through the MTCDP, MTCs have successfully penetrated 18 new markets including USA, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Myanmar.

MCMTC is a private-led initiative aimed at facilitating the growth of Malaysian MTCs in the increasingly competitive global market through strategic alliances. Its membership is opened to eligible MTCs.
Issued

TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian companies that participated in the International Sourcing Programme (INSP) held in conjunction with SEMICON South East Asia Exhibition 2018 recently have successfully reaped potential export sales of RM289.1 million. The signature business matching – INSP – was organised by Malaysia’s trade promotion agency, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation’s (MATRADE).

Held for the fourth consecutive time, the INSP saw a total of 84 business meetings coordinated for 49 Malaysian companies with 12 buyers from South Africa, the USA, Brazil, Germany, China, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam. Among the products and services sourced included embedded systems solutions, machinery and equipment for the semiconductor industry (vision inspection, wire bonding, die sorting), telecommunication and power cables, printed circuit boards, electronic manufacturing services and Industry 4.0 solutions.

Supported by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry Malaysia and the Malaysian Investment Development Authority, the initiative was part of MATRADE’s promotion for the local Electrical & Electronics (E&E) sector in facilitating the growth of the key sector, which contributed 27.8 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In 2017, Malaysia’s E&E exports were valued at RM343 billion, accounting for 36.7 per cent share of the country’s total exports and 44.7 per cent share of Malaysia’s manufactured exports. Semiconductor devices, integrated circuits, transistors and valves – the largest exported Malaysian items – accounted for 51.9 per cent share of Malaysia’s E&E exports. The top-5 export destinations for Malaysian E&E products are Singapore, China, the USA, Hong Kong and Japan.

MONDAY, MAY 7, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR : In an effort to enable Malaysian companies to tap into the business opportunities along the Silk Route, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) will be coordinating the participation of Malaysian companies at the 3rd Silk Road International Expo (SRIE) in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China from 11 to 15 May 2018. The Malaysian delegation will be led by YBhg. Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting.

Malaysia’s participation has an added significance this year as Malaysia has been selected as the Country of Honour for SRIE 2018 by the Shaanxi Provincial Government, the main organiser of the event. More than a hundred representatives from 40 Malaysian companies and relevant Malaysian government organisations will take part at the prominent event.

Ir Dr Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen Madros, the Chief Executive Officer of MATRADE said that the involvement of Malaysian players at the event offers a good opportunity for Malaysia to enhance our presence, especially in the second tier city in the North West of China. “Participation at the Silk Road International Expo 2018 will also enable us to tap into the neighbouring Muslim markets of Shaanxi namely Ningxia, Qinghai, Gansu, Xinjiang and nearby provinces. Malaysia is leveraging on the connectivity to this region especially via the daily direct flight access by Air Asia from Malaysia to Xi’an,” he said.

Apart from Malaysia’s participation in the trade exhibition, MATRADE and the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) will be organising an economic forum to promote trade and investment opportunities as well as highlight Malaysia’s capabilities in the higher education, health tourism, machinery as well as e-commerce. Other agencies involved are the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (MDEC). Besides promoting Malaysia’s trade and investment, Tourism Malaysia will be also organising Malaysia Food Festival in Shangri-la Hotel, Xi’an from 11 – 17 May 2018, to highlight Malaysian signature dishes from various states of Malaysia.

Participation at the SRIE 2018 is a continuation of various efforts by Malaysia to show our support towards the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), following to the signing of BRI MoU by 2 Governments in 2017. Under the Belt and Road initiatives, currently, both countries are already cooperating on mega projects such as the twin parks – Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park and China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park, Xiamen University in Malaysia and the most recent is the Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ) which will enable Malaysian SMEs to go global.

“MATRADE, through its various export promotion initiatives will continue to accelerate Malaysia’s exports to China given its importance to Malaysian companies, especially the Small and Medium Enterprises,” Ir Dr Mohd Shahreen added.

China continued to be Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 9 consecutive years since 2009. In 2017, Malaysia’s trade with China increased by 20.6% to RM290.65 billion. Exports to China were valued at RM126.15 billion, an increase of 28% while imports rose by 15.5% to RM164.5 billion. Higher exports were recorded for E&E products, petroleum products, rubber products, liquefied natural gas (LNG), chemicals and chemical products, optical and scientific equipment, manufactures of metal as well as natural rubber. China remained as Malaysia’s largest import source with 19.6% share of total imports in 2017. Higher imports were registered for E&E products, machinery, equipment and parts as well as petroleum products.

Xi’an was the entry point to the Ancient Silk Road more than 2,000 years ago, and a major trading hub. Today, the city is assuming the same important role under China’s Belt and Road initiative. Xi’an also serves as a key regional transportation hub in China, connecting areas further west by rail to the Eastern half of China. The SRIE mainly consists of trade and industry pavilions, business cooperation seminars and international conferences which will be held concurrently. Among the sectors promoted in the event at the Malaysia pavilion include food & beverages, lifestyle, health & wellness products, healthcare tourism, higher education and tourism services as well as many others.

FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) will be coordinating the participation of 28 Malaysian companies at the 123rd China Import and Export (Canton) Fair, Phase 3 (Spring Session) 2018 from 1 – 5 May 2018 in Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.

The event to be organised by the China Foreign Trade Centre (CFTC) and hosted by the Ministry of Commerce, P.R. China and People’s Government of Guangdong Province is the largest exhibition in China. It is held biannually in Guangzhou, every spring (April-May) and autumn (October-November), with a long history of 61 years since 1957. This Fair has attracted many international buyers from all over the world and has become one of the largest product-sourcing events in the world.

Mr Ong Yew Chee, the Director of China and Northeast Asia Section in MATRADE remarked that “the objective of MATRADE’s participation in the Canton Fair is to further enhance Malaysia’s exports to the China market and the world, taking advantage of the strong presence of foreign and Chinese buyers and to leverage on this strategic platform to promote the image of Malaysia as a reliable source of imports for high quality and competitive products and services.”

The Malaysia Pavilion will exhibit products ranging from F&B, healthcare products and household items. MATRADE is also arranging one-on-one business meetings between Malaysian exhibitors and buyers at the Malaysia Pavilion. In addition, Malaysia’s participation in the previous 121st Canton Fair had managed to record total sales of RM111.14 million and received more than 3,000 enquiries.

China remained as Malaysia’s largest trading partner for 9 consecutive years since 2009. In 2017, the trade between both countries performed beyond expectation with total trade recording 20.6% of growth to RM 290.70 billion compared to 2016. Malaysia’s exports to China in 2017 rose by 28.0% to RM126.2 billion while imports rose 15.5% to RM164.5 billion. Malaysia’s trade with China in January - February 2018 expanded by 7.9% to RM46.54 billion compared with the same period in 2017. Exports to China surged by 3.3% to RM18.74 billion, due to higher exports of Electrical & Electronics products, petroleum products, Optical & Scientific Equipment, chemicals and chemical products as well as Machinery, Equipment & Parts. Imports from China also increased by 11.2% to RM27.79 billion.

MATRADE as Malaysia’s export promotion agency offers various facilitation for Malaysian companies in areas such as market intelligence and trade advisory as well as export promotion and capacity building programmes. Beside CANTON Fair, MATRADE will also organise the participation of Malaysian companies in several trade promotion programmes such as the 2018 Silk Road International Expo (SRIE) in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province (11-15 May 2018), Export Acceleration Mission (EAM) in conjunction with Transport Logistic in Shanghai (16 – 18 May 2018), the 15th China ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) in Nanning, Guangxi Province (12 – 15 September 2018), China International Import Expo 2018 in Shanghai (5 – 10 November 2018) and Automechanika Shanghai 2018 (28 November – 1 December 2018).

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) in collaboration with Malaysia Petroleum Resources Corporation (MPRC) will be leveraging on Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) held from 30 April to 3 May 2018 at NRG Arena, Houston, Texas, USA, as a platform to further promote Malaysian oil & gas capabilities in the markets of North America and its neighbouring regions.

Malaysia’s total trade with the USA for oil & gas products rose an impressive 32.2% to RM1.83 billion in 2017 as compared to the previous year. Total exports of oil & gas products to USA also grew in tandem, powering ahead by 50.7% to RM767.4 million.

This year’s participation will mark MATRADE’s seventh involvement in OTC Houston. Twelve Malaysian companies including PETRONAS and MISC Berhad are set to showcase their high-quality and innovative products and services to over 70,000 attendees from 100 different countries, expected in attendance at this year’s event. The Malaysia Pavilion’s theme for OTC Houston 2018 is “Choose Malaysia: Your Oil & Gas Partner in Asia”

The Malaysian delegates this year represent various segments of the oil & gas industry, with many offering world-class capabilities in areas such drilling technology, heat recovery equipment, industrial rubber hoses, upstream and downstream services, engineering and process engineering services, feasibility studies and consultancy, transport and logistics, electrical and instrumentation (E&I) services maintenance, manpower services, HSE and environmental consultancy. Last year, Malaysian companies achieved a successful showing at OTC 2017, raking in business leads with an expected value of RM364.22 million.

“OTC Houston is a very special event for Malaysian companies. It is a trade show and conference that attracts a unique mix of Malaysian MNCs and SMEs under one Malaysia Pavilion. The symbiotic relationship and friendly competition is a conducive environment that spurs the industry forward and strengthens their collective positioning at this global event,” said Wan Azhamuddin Jusoh, Deputy Director of Oil & Gas, Chemical and Energy Section, MATRADE.

“The Malaysian Government will continue to assist and help drive our trade in technology and expertise in oil & gas products and services to the world. Companies are encouraged and supported to innovate and add value in order to be successful in this fast-paced and competitive industry,” he added

Apart from participating in the exhibition segment of OTC Houston, Malaysian companies will also be involved in business matching with potential buyers through pre-arranged business meetings organised by MATRADE. There will also be several business presentations and trade talks at the Malaysia Pavilion including briefings to Houston-based MNCs by MIDA Houston and by MPRC.

“We facilitate both inbound investments and internationalisation of Malaysia’s OGSE companies as part of the government’s efforts to solidify Malaysia’s position as a dynamic OGSE hub for the Asia Pacific region,” MPRC’s Executive Director and Head of Trade and Investment, Mohd Yazid Ja’afar said.

“MPRC will also promote Oil and Gas Day that will be held in conjunction with the upcoming World Energy Cities Partnership’s annual general meeting (AGM) in Kuala Lumpur, from 16 - 19 October 2018. We aim to make full use of this opportunity to further enhance Malaysia as the primary OGSE gateway to Asia Pacific and beyond,” he added.

MATRADE as Malaysia’s export promotion agency is dedicated to advance exports and build global brands from Malaysia. Malaysian companies wishing to export are advised to contact MATRADE’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur or any of its 47 international trade offices around the world for assistance. For more details email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is ramping up its support for Malaysian exporters of machinery products and services especially that which is related to the Industry 4.0 by organising an Export Acceleration Mission (EAM) in conjunction to Hannover Messe 2018 trade fair.

A total sixteen (16) Malaysian companies with 32 delegates will be involved in the EAM. This is the third time that MATRADE will be organising an EAM during Hannover Messe, which is the largest trade fair in the world for industrial technology.

The EAM, which is being led by MATRADE’s CEO, Ir. Dr. Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen Madros, will showcasing Malaysia’s capability in the areas such as engineering solutions, precision engineering and machining for sectors such as semiconductor automation, rubber gloves, textile, heavy plant such as steel making plant.

Malaysian companies will also be promoting solutions related to automation and robotic systems as well as systems and solutions related to data and business intelligence management. The Malaysian Pavilion will be based in the Industry Supply and in the Integrated Automation Motion Drive hall.

Some of the Malaysian companies involved in the EAM are already exporting to the European market and keen to use their participation to further enhance their footprint in the European market.

According to Ir Dr Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen Madros, Malaysia’s participation at Hannover Messe is part of MATRADE’s push to further highlight and brand Malaysia’s capabilities on homegrown solutions related to Industry 4.0, smart factories, digital and automation robotics to potential global business partners. ‘We have planned for business matching sessions for our companies which hopefully can lead to collaborations, partnership and joint ventures for them,’’ he noted, adding that this is critical as establishing market access for industrial technology and solutions is not straight forward.

He noted that for a long time, Malaysia’s technology related exports were more on parts and components. ‘We are equally strong on others areas and this is what we need to showcase to move up the value chain and create brand-champions,’ he informed. The participation is also to provide an avenue for the Malaysian companies to get greater insight on industry trends, especially that which is related to Industry 4.0 so that they are able to retain their competitiveness moving forward.

In 2017, Malaysia’s total trade of machinery, equipment & parts were valued at USD27.64 billion. Exports grew by 3.1% to USD9.34 billion. Major exported items in 2017 were machinery & parts specialised for particular industries (mainly semiconductor industry); heating & cooling equipment & parts (mainly air-conditioning machines) and pumps (other than for liquids), compressors, fans, centrifuges & parts. These items collectively accounted 55.3% share of machinery, equipment & parts exports.

Malaysia’s top 5 export destinations for machinery, equipment & parts were Singapore, the USA, Thailand, Indonesia and China. These markets collectively accounted 49.3% share of Malaysia’s total exports of machinery, equipment & parts. Within the same period, Germany the 11th export destination for Malaysia’s exports of machinery, equipment & parts. Malaysia’s total trade with Germany increased 10.9% to USD12.33 billion in 2017. Germany was the Malaysia’s 11th largest trading partner within the same period.

Local companies that are keen to explore the European market can contact MATRADE’s Frankfurt office by emailing to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

FRIDAY, 20 APRIL 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: The International Sourcing Programme (INSP), organised in conjunction with the forthcoming 25th International Franchise Exhibition and Conference (FIM) 2018 has received confirmation from 16 foreign companies from 11 countries.

According to Madam Rusiah Mohamed, the Director of the Construction and Business Services Section of Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), which organises the INSP in collaboration with Malaysia Franchise Association (MFA), Malaysian franchise is highly sought after, as evidence by the growing presence of Malaysian franchise brands operating overseas.

“We will provide business-matching services between the Malaysian franchisors and these foreign companies at the side-lines of the exhibition in Hall 4, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) on Friday, 20 April 2018. FIM will be held from 20 – 22 April 2018 at the same venue. The buyers were pre-selected and recommended by MATRADE offices abroad and approved by the organising committee headed by MFA,” she added.

This 1-day INSP event will see participation from various countries namely Belgium, Indonesia, Maldives, the Philippines, Poland, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Serbia, Sweden and Vietnam. In total, MATRADE will be coordinating close to 100 business meetings between local and foreign companies.

The INSP is a cost-effective platform for Malaysian franchisors to meet potential franchisees from around the world at the comfort of their own home country. According to Madam Rusiah, the INSP facilitates business matching for local companies, especially the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), so they could expand their business globally without having to bear hefty travel fees. In addition, these foreign representatives will have the opportunity to visit the facilities of their prospective franchisors.

Organised by MFA, FIM, which was incepted 25 years ago, is one of the franchise events in Malaysia which is fully supported by the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK). The event is also well recognised by the international franchise players, World Franchise Council (WFC) and Asia Pacific Franchise Confederation (APFC).

MONDAY: 16 APRIL 2018: The Malaysia Aerospace Industry Association (MAIA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Aerospace Industries Association of The Philippines (AiAP), focussing on aerospace industry development at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2018, at MITEC, Kuala Lumpur, on 16 April 2018.

MAIA was represented by its President, Mr. Naguib Mohd Nor while AiAP was represented by its Chairman, Mr. John T. Lee. Also present were Ms. Yuslinawati Mohd Yusof, Director of Transport and Logistics Section, MATRADE.

Both Associations will collaborate to develop aerospace capabilities and business opportunities between Malaysia and Philippines. The MOU will focus on human capital development, research & technology as well as exchange of information on business environment, and international trade issues.

The signing of the MoU is part of MAIA effort to secure footprint in the regional OEM supply chain growth. The various OEM internationalisation strategies have caused supply chains to pivot towards the high growth regions such as Asia Pacific.

MAIA aims to position Malaysia as a capable and competitive manufacturing, MRO and services base able to supplement and integrate with the Philippines and regional aerospace sectors.
Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), which is Malaysia’s national trade promotion agency, was instrumental in facilitating the collaboration between MAIA and AiAP. MAIA and AiAP initially engaged during MATRADE’s delegation to Seattle AeroMart, March 2018.

The MoU signing is part of MATRADE’s continuous effort to match-make MAIA with aerospace associations from other part of the world to further grow the sector.

JUMAAT, 6 APRIL 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Pembiayaan industri perdagangan melalui perbankan Islam menyasarkan peningkatan kepada 10% dalam tempoh tiga tahun akan datang, berbanding hanya 3.4% pada tahun lalu. Jangkaan ini dilihat sebagai satu peluang yang baik bagi perkembangan kewangan Islam yang lebih meluas.

Halal Trade Finance Conference: CEO Forum yang berlangsung pada hari ini sempena Pameran Perdagangan Halal Malaysia (MIHAS) 2018 turut mengupas isu-isu yang dihadapi bagi perkembangan pembiayaan perdagangan Islam termasuklah pilihan produk-produk pembiayaan perdagangan Islam yang tidak komprehensif serta kekurangan tenaga kerja mahir.

Forum ini dianjurkan oleh Persatuan Institusi Perbankan Islam Malaysia (AIBIM) dengan tajuk Revitalizing Trade and Unlocking New Potential, telah menyaksikan perkongsian daripada pemain-pemain industri yang optimis terhadap sasaran peningkatan pembiayaan sebanyak 10% dalam tempoh tiga tahun. Menurut Ketua Pengawai Eksekutif Maybank Islamic Bank Berhad, Dato' Mohamed Rafique Merican yang juga ahli exco AIBIM, sasaran ini boleh dicapai melalui pemerkasaan tenaga kerja mahir serta penawaran latihan-latihan komprenhensif yang berkaitan secara lebih meluas.

Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif MATRADE, Ir Dr Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen Madros turut menghadiri forum ini selaku salah seorang ahli panel diskusi.MIHAS 2018 yang berlangsung dari 4 hingga 7 April 2018 di MITEC, Kuala Lumpur telah disertai lebih daripada seribu peserta tempatan dan antarabangsa.

THURSDAY, 5 APRIL 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: The International National Sourcing Programme (INSP), organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) continues to grow as one of the most significant business-to-business trade matching programmes in the country.

According to the Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI), Dato' Sri Mustapa bin Mohamed the INSP for MIHAS 2018 resulted in generating sales of RM602.5 million. ‘This is a surge of almost 100% compared to the INSP results of 2017,’ he stressed. The INSP was organised in conjunction to the 15th Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2018, which is being held from 4-7 April 2017 at the Malaysian International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC).

Food products remained as the major contributors accounting for 76.7% or RM462.27 million, followed by non-food products (21%; RM126.4 million) and services (2.3%; RM13.5 million). For food products, sales were mainly from prepared food (confectionery, snacks & frozen food), agricultural produce (fruits & nuts), palm oil products (cooking oil & refined palm oil) and beverages. Meanwhile for non-food products, pharmaceutical, toiletries & cosmetics made up the largest composition followed by packaging & containers, machinery & equipment and building materials & hardware. Services were contributed by franchise, distribution & logistics as well as entertainment (games & creative industry).

In terms of sales composition by markets, more than half of the sales were contributed by China with 51.5% share or RM310.5 million, followed by India (12.6%; RM75.6 million), Poland (11.8%; RM71.3 million), Thailand (3.6%; RM21.7 million), USA (3.3%; RM20.1 million) and others.

The Minister noted that the strong results is a reflection of the dedication by MATRADE in identifying the right buyers. MATRADE’s 47 global offices had identified 182 buyers from 39 countries. The number of buyers are 10 % higher compared to previous year. "In total MATRADE organised 2,094 one-on-one business meetings during the one-day event," the Minister disclosed.

Dato' Sri Mustapa bin Mohamed informed that Malaysian SMEs have especially benefited from this programme. A total of 428 Malaysian exporters secured sales during the INSP, of which over 80% were SMEs. According to him, the need for cost-effective business matching platforms such as INSP is critical to ensure the Malaysian SMEs are able to accelerate their growth cycle and become strong exporter in the quickest possible time.

Similar growth is also evident in MIHAS 2018 trade fair. The 15th edition of MIHAS has recorded growth in terms of number of exhibition space and exhibitors. According to Dato' Sri Mustapa bin Mohamed, the total exhibitor space has expanded by 69.8% (2018: 20,900 sqm) and number of exhibitors by 43.9% (2018: 760).

“The increase is a testimony of the growing importance of MIHAS to the global halal economy. The organising of MIHAS is an indication of the Government's vision in developing the halal sector in a commercially viable manner to ensure the Malaysian halal ecosystem grows and benefits Malaysian suppliers,' he said.

The Minister also indicated that MIHAS 2018 has introduced new programme segments for both exhibitors and visitors are able to not only secure potential business deals but also market
intelligence. This is part of the plan for MIHAS to evolve to become a one-stop centre on all matters relating to commercial intelligence and trade for the halal economy.

Apart from exhibition and INSP, other segments of MIHAS include MATRADE Trade Talk, MyPitch@MIHAS, Symposium on Halal Gelatin Ecosystem, Halal Trade Finance Conference, IMHalal Conference, Halal in Travel Conference, Industry Zone, MIHAS Breakfast Coffee as well as MIHAS Connect.

TUESDAY, 3 APRIL 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Over 350 Malaysian exporters and 189 foreign buyers from 41 countries took part in the International Sourcing Programme (INSP) held at Menara MATRADE, in conjunction with the 15th Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2018, which will be held from 4-7 April 2018 at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre.

The business matching initiative, taking place a day prior to the exhibition, is organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), Malaysia’s trade promotion agency. Held every year in conjunction with MIHAS, the INSP is a key component of the trade event apart from its exhibition where the participating Malaysian companies get to enjoy the privilege of meeting with specially invited foreign buyers. The INSP is a cost-effective platform for Malaysian companies to meet potential buyers from around the world at the comfort of their own home country.

According to Mr.Khairul Annuar, the Director of Americas at MATRADE the objective of organising the INSP programme it to provide a viable avenue for Malaysian companies to access global buyers in a cost effective way. ‘We do hope that once the communication has been established, the relationship will grow further, strengthened by all the other MATRADE activities that we carry out throughout the year such as Export Acceleration Missions,’ he added.

The sectors highlighted at the INSP include Halal consumables (paste, sauces, ready-to-eat meals, and confectionery), Non-food products (cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and palm oil-based products), certified premises (hotels, restaurants, central kitchens and slaughterhouses) and Islamic financial services (banking services, takaful and retirement & pension fund).

The top-5 Malaysian states recording the highest participation in this year’s INSP are Selangor (50%), Kuala Lumpur (13%), Johor (10%), Penang (6%) and Kedah (4%). According to Mr.Khairul, there were also many companies, which attended the event as walk-ins.

Last year, the INSP generated RM 300 million of sales with food and beverages sector having contributed the largest number of sales for the INSP. For this year event, MATRADE is targeting to match closely the outcome generated last year.

Among the countries involved in the 1-day event, include China, Cote D’Ivoire, India, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, South Korea and Kazakhstan.

In total, MATRADE coordinated more than 2,000 business meetings between the local and foreign companies.

MIHAS 2018 will host over 800 exhibitors and will feature Halal products and services from over 35 countries. The event is expected to welcome 25,000 visitors and the participants come
from all over ASEAN, East Asia, North Asia, South Asia, Oceania, Americas, Europe and the Middle East.

MIHAS which was incepted in 2004 with the vision of making Malaysia a global halal marketplace, has earned a reputation as the world’s largest Halal trade fair. Organised by MATRADE, it is hosted by Ministry of International Trade and Industry in association of Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) and Halal Development Corporation (HDC). For more details on the event, visit www.mihas.com.my.

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: A total of RM 315.50 million potential sales were secured through International Sourcing Programme (INSP) coordinated by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), in collaboration with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia. This is another successful year for MATRADE on its one-to-one business matching programme held on 27 March 2018 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), in conjunction with the International Construction Week (ICW) 2018.

This year, 19 buyers from 12 countries namely Cambodia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, South Korea, Myanmar, the Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Turkey participated in this INSP ICW 2018 event. A total of 158 business meetings were arranged by MATRADE with Malaysian companies to supply products and services needed by these foreign buyers. Among potential products and services identified include road patch mix, bitumen emulsions, sanitary ware, asphalt, road marking, park furniture, paints and coating, river and silica sand, metal parts, moulding, cables, smart city and energy savings solution, aircond chiller, formworks, trading, roofing, metal doors, water heaters, water proofing, sewerage treatment and waste water plants and BIM software consultancy and training.

ICW is the largest and the most important annual event 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.

“The International Sourcing Programme (INSP) in conjunction with the International Construction Week (ICW) 2018 was MATRADE’s fourth participation in the series since 2014. A similar program was successfully held last year. Malaysian companies are encouraged to leverage on this platform to promote and sell their products and services to these potential buyers”, said Puan Rusiah Mohamed, Director of Construction and Business
Services, MATRADE.

In 2017, Malaysia’s total export of building materials were valued at RM 29.79 billion accounted for a market share of 3.2 per cent of the total Malaysian exports worldwide. Major exported building materials from Malaysia last year were wood products, sawn timber and moulding, manufactures of metal, iron & steel products and non-metallic mineral products.

Malaysia’s total export of construction services was valued at RM 4.18 billion, an increase of 2.4 per cent from RM 4.09 billion during the same period in 2016.

MATRADE as Malaysia’s export promotion agency offers various facilitation for Malaysian companies in areas such as market intelligence and trade advisory as well as export promotion and capacity building programmes. The agency, under Ministry of International Trade and Industry, has 46 trade offices around the world. For more information on MATRADE, please visit www.matrade.gov.my.

WEDNESDAY, 14 MARCH 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: The International Sourcing Programme (INSP), which is organised in conjunction to the forthcoming 15th Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2018 has received confirmation from 217 foreign buyers from 42 countries.

According to Mr.Khairul Annuar Abdul Halim, the Director of the European and Americas Section of Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), which organises the INSP, Malaysian suppliers seeking export opportunities during the INSP need to get in touch with MATRADE quickly if they wish to leverage on this initiative.

‘We will provide business-matching services between the Malaysian companies and these foreign buyers at Menara MATRADE on Tuesday 3 April 2018. MIHAS will be held from 4-7 April 2018 at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC),’ he said. The buyers were pre-selected and recommended by MATRADE’s 47 offices worldwide.

Among the countries involved in the 1-day event are China, Australia, India, Japan, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Mauritius, Vietnam, Korea, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Egypt. In total, MATRADE will be coordinating more than 2,000 business meetings between local and foreign companies.

Held every year in conjunction with MIHAS, the INSP is a key component of the trade event alongside its exhibition counterpart where participating Malaysian companies enjoy the privilege of meeting specially invited foreign buyers. The INSP is a cost-effective platform for Malaysian companies to meet potential buyers from around the world at the comfort of their own home country. Over a 10-year period through this INSP, MATRADE has gained a recognition from the International Trade Centre (ITC) in its ‘Halal Goes Global 2015 Report’ on this initiative.

According to Mr. Khairul, the INSP facilitates business matching for local companies, especially the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), so they could expand their business globally without having to bear hefty travel fees. â€˜Over the years, we have faithfully turned this annual gathering of buyers and sellers to become an important meeting point for our Halal exporters and foreign importers to further expand their business horizon in the global market,” he said.

The sectors highlighted at the event include Halal consumables (paste, sauces, ready-to-eat meals, and confectionery), Non-food products (cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and palm oilbased products), certified premises (hotels, restaurants, central kitchens and slaughterhouses) and Islamic financial services (banking services, takaful and retirement & pension fund).

The top-5 Malaysian states recording the highest participation in this year’s INSP are Selangor (42.3%), Kuala Lumpur (17.5%), Johor (11%), Penang (6%) and Malacca (4.1%). Apart from the companies that have registered with MATRADE prior to the event, we also anticipate more companies to attend the event as walk-in articipants.

The top-5 Malaysian states recording the highest participation in this year’s INSP are within the food and beverages sector, having contributed the largest number of sales for the INSP. For this year’s event, MATRADE is targeting to match the outcome generated last year despite the smaller number of buyers in this year’s edition.

Khairul explained that MATRADE is confident that it can repeat last year’s sales of RM301.9 million even with a smaller number of buyers and the associated costs as it has been even more stringent on the buyer-screening process. ‘Furthermore, our focus is on new buyers and new markets,” he added.

“This year, for the first time, we are having four companies offering Islamic financial services.This indicates a growing interest to export more Halal services and iterates that Halal is more than just food and beverages,” he explained.

MIHAS, which was incepted in 2004 with the vision of making Malaysia a global Halal marketplace, has earned a reputation as the world’s largest Halal trade fair. Organised by MATRADE, it is hosted by Ministry of International Trade and Industry in association of Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) and Halal Development Corporation (HDC). For more details on the event, visit www.mihas.com.my.

MATRADE encourages Malaysian companies offering Halal products and services to leverage on the one-on-one pre-arranged business meetings scheduled for them once they registered in the INSP. Malaysian companies that are keen to participate, can register in the event by emailing to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call INSP Secretariat at 03-6207 7489 / 7490 / 7491.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian companies’ participation in the recent one of the biggest healthcare trade events in the Middle East & North African (MENA) region, Arab Health 2018, ended positively as the 16 Malaysian companies at the event generated a 57 per cent export sales increment compared to last year’s participation. The Arab Health 2018 took place at Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), from 29th January to 1st February.

Spearheaded by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation’s (MATRADE), the participation of Malaysian companies saw total sales of RM367.1 million recorded. The local companies at the event are mainly in Medical Devices sector offering products of wound care, synthetic bone graft, disinfectants, tubing, catheters, test kids, hospital furniture, hospital grade waste bins and medical gloves.

Mr. Zulkefli Mohd Nor, Production Manager from Worldwide Medivest, a surgical suture manufacturer shared, “We have received a large number of visitors who are interested to form partnerships via distributorship, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and supply of raw material. This is very encouraging for us given the fact that this is our first ever participation in Arab Health. We would like to thank MATRADE for the opportunity given and believe that events such as this provides a platform for us to catapult ourselves into the global market.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Brandt Lee, Export Manager from LKL Advance Metaltech, manufacturer of hospital furnitures said, “This year marks our 12th year participating in Arab Health through the support of MATRADE. It has been an invaluable experience for us every year as the quality of the show is second to none. The opportunity to exhibit alongside other Malaysian counterparts further solidifies our brand positioning.”

According to Mr. Abu Bakar Yusof, Director of Lifestyle and Life Sciences of MATRADE, Malaysia’s exports of Medical Device reached historic heights at RM 19.78 billion in 2017, up 24.9 per cent compared to 2016. “Such increase is partly attributed to our participation in large-scale events such as Arab Health and this year was our 14th year at the event. The event itself has more than 4,200 exhibitors from over 150 countries, in a region where its healthcare expenditure is expected to reach RM780 billion by 2020. For MATRADE, we believe our presence in such exhibition will elevate the potential of Malaysia’s Medical Device sector and enable our companies to grow further within the years to come.”

Apart from the exhibition component, MATRADE through its Dubai office, has organised MATRADE’s signature business matching initiative called International Sourcing Programme or INSP where 378 business meetings took place. During the event, strong interests in Malaysian Medical Devices were seen from UAE, Egypt, Germany, Sweden, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Rwanda, Iraq, Italy, and Saudi Arabia.

MATRADE, as Malaysia’s trade promotion organisation, will continue to undertake specific Medical Device and Healthcare promotional programmes such as Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia Conference (APHM) (31st Jul – 2nd Aug) and International Rubber Glove Conference and Exhibition (IRGCE) (4 – 6 Sep) this year. MATRADE is also planning to participate in MEDICA Dusseldorf (12 – 15 Nov) - one of the world’s leading events for Medical Device. During these events, Malaysian companies will also take part in MATRADE’s INSP where they stand a chance to meet with potential foreign buyers.

Malaysian companies keen to take part in any of MATRADE’s initiatives may contact MATRADE via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., MATRADE’s social media channels or visit www.matrade.gov.my for details.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) launched one of its iconic trade events Kuala Lumpur International Aerospace Business Convention (KLIABC) today, marking yet another significant event for MATRADE in celebrating its 25th year Anniversary. The event is specifically focused on the aerospace industry – an area Malaysia is fast gaining traction on.

The KLIABC 2018, also the third edition of the event, was launched by Minister II of International Trade & Industry (MITI), YB Dato’ Seri Ong Ka Chuan. The event will be held from 2nd – 4th October 2018 at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), Kuala Lumpur.

KLIABC was incepted in 2015 with the aim of linking Malaysian companies in the aerospace industry with potential partners from around the globe. Considered one of the key aerospace events in South East Asia, the KLIABC is an avenue to enhance Malaysian companies’ inclusion in the global supply chain. The event will gather 170 organisations from 20 countries who comprise decision makers and renowned aerospace players who are seeking Malaysian expertise in the aerospace industry particularly in sectors such as parts & components manufacturing, engineering & design services, Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) as well as systems integration & maintenance.

According to MATRADE’s Chief Executive Officer Ir. Dr. Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen Madros, the KLIABC, is a cost-effective platform for local companies especially the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to connect and network with potential trade partners to strengthen their footprint overseas and secure their position in the global supply chain.

“The event is part of MATRADE’s continuous effort to facilitate Malaysian companies to enhance their presence globally. With the current rapid growth of the air transportation industry locally as well as globally, there are plenty of opportunities for them to leverage on,” he said.

“The Malaysian aerospace industry, while relatively new in comparison to the United States (US) or the European countries, is seen by the Government as a strategic industry with a huge potential to promote the country’s industrialisation and technological developments. There are many opportunities in manufacturing of aircraft parts and components; manufacture or assembly base for light aircraft and corporate planes; MRO activities for aircraft, engine and component; and engineering services activities too,” Dr. Mohd Shahreen added.

The main highlights of the KLIABC 2018 will be a one-day high level conference to be held on the first day of the event and a series of Business-to-Business (B2B) meetings throughout the remaining two days. The conference will feature speakers from world’s top airlines, Original Equipment Manufacturers and the MRO sector.

In 2017, Malaysia’s exports of aerospace parts and components recorded an increase of 53.4 per cent to RM8.49 billion compared to RM5.53 billion in 2016. Most of the products were mainly exported to Indonesia, Singapore, the US, the United Kingdom and China. Meanwhile, imports increased by 18.7 per cent to RM14.18 billion as compared to RM11.94 billion in 2016. Malaysia’s major import sources in 2016 were primarily from France, the US, the Netherlands, China and Singapore.

In the previous edition, KLIABC 2016, the event recorded a total of 2,600 B2B meetings and has generated total sales of RM150 million. Among the participating major players participated at the event were Malaysia Airlines, Air Asia, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad, DRB Hicom, Strand Aerospace Malaysia, Airbus Group, Rolls Royce, Honeywell Aerospace, Safran France, Ruag Aviation, Triumph Aerostructure, Fly Dubai, Garuda Indonesia, China Eastern Airlines, Etihad Airlines Engineering and GIFAS (French Aerospace Industries Association).

With the introduction of Malaysia Aerospace Blueprint 2030 by the Malaysian Government, Malaysia is set to be a major player in the Aerospace sector in the Asia Pacific region. Among the strategies outlined in the Blueprint are to capture new markets and strengthening local supply chain, taking into examples main players such as Mexico and Morocco, who are both regarded as the global hubs for North America and Europe respectively.

MATRADE urges Malaysian aerospace companies to take part in the KLIABC 2018. Interested companies may contact Mr. Mohd Shahrolnizam Mohd Shah (Tel: 03-6207 7533 / e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Mr. Azman Md Yusof (Tel: 03-6207 7537 / e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for more details.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s trade promotion organisation, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), celebrated the contributions of Malaysian exporters at its iconic Export Day 2018. The celebration is high time given the exceptional trade performance reported for Malaysia in the first 11 months of 2017, where the total value of trade, exports, imports and trade balance had surpassed the whole performance of 2016. The event, taking place at Menara MATRADE, marked the beginning of MATRADE’s 25th year Anniversary celebration, and is themed as ‘Celebrating 25 Years of Export Excellence’.

In the first eleven months of 2017, Malaysia’s total trade amounted to RM1.622 trillion, grew by 20.8 per cent compared with the same period of 2016. Exports totaled to RM856.05 billion, surged by 20.4 per cent and imports stood at RM766.07 billion, up by 21.2 per cent. A trade surplus of RM89.98 billion was recorded, higher by 13.6 per cent compared to the corresponding period of 2016. Much of these achievements were driven by various efforts from the Government and the private sector.

Apart from appreciating the efforts by local companies in driving Malaysia’s trade, the Export Day 2018 was organised to inform local companies the latest export opportunities around the world, strategies to win global market demands, current issues in international trade, MATRADE’s services to Malaysian companies as well as MATRADE’s programmes throughout 2018.

Export Day 2018, which kickstarted a long list of activities planned for MATRADE’s Silver Jubilee celebration, was launched by YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI). He was accompanied by Ir. Dr. Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen Madros, MATRADE’s Chief Executive Officer. The event was attended by more than 1,000 participants who are Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Mid-Tier Companies (MTCs), Large Companies, Multinational Companies, Government-Linked Companies, Start-Ups, Venture Capitalists, Government Agencies and business students.

The event featured two panel sessions titled as ‘The Export Journey’ and ‘The Future of Export’, with speakers from prominent exporting companies namely Eversendai Corporation Berhad, Hyrax Oil Sdn Bhd, edotco Group Sdn Bhd (Axiata), Perfect Food Manufacturing (M) Sdn Bhd (Julie’s), IX Telekom Sdn Bhd, Bon Zainal Menswear, LH Plus Sdn Bhd and Streamline Studios (M) Sdn Bhd. The speakers from the companies shared their experiences in export and how they embraced the global challenges to remain competitive in the international arena. The panelists also discussed the prospects of exporting in view of the constant changes in global economies and demands from emerging sectors as well as the world’s emerging markets.

According to Ir. Dr Mohd Shahreen, Export Day 2018 was an embodiment of MATRADE’s effort to create a conducive platform for the Malaysian business community to congregate and network and relish upon each other’s experiences in global business and entrepreneurship.

“It is crucial for the local business fraternity to meet so they can compare notes and most importantly identify what are the things they could do differently to help them become an export champions. All export champions started small and for them to emerge and succeed amidst various challenges in the world, catering to demands from millions of people, that is something useful for us to learn from,” he said.

Apart from panel sessions, MATRADE awarded outstanding Malaysian companies that have excelled overseas through the MATRADE Export Award (MEA). The winners were selected by a panel of judges who comprised representatives from MITI, Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and MATRADE. The MEA was introduced to encourage more Malaysian companies to go beyond borders and embark on exporting. 30 winners were selected under 10 categories for Products and Services by SMEs, MTCs, Large Companies, Bumiputera, Women and Youth Companies as well as MNCs.

During the Export Day 2018, the announcement on MATRADE’s 397 programmes planned for this year was also made. The programmes announced are targeted to boost Malaysian companies’ capability and market access around the world. These programmes include Export Promotion (46 programmes), Exporters Development (280 programmes), Exporters Training (44 programmes) and Collaborative Initiatives (27 programmes).

“Over the 25 years of existence, MATRADE’s work programmes are to ensure Malaysian companies not only obtain market access but the necessary knowledge and export skills to succeed abroad. Through the programmes, we have been able to link them with potential foreign buyers and partners. MATRADE’s Exporters Development Programmes are also being executed to provide customised facilitations to Malaysian exporters,” Ir. Dr. Mohd Shahreen said.

Complementing the agenda was MATRADE Industry Communication Session where over 50 info counters by various agencies, local media houses and the Sector and Market Desks within MATRADE were showcased. Similar to an open day concept, the Industry Communication Session allowed Malaysian businesses to reach out to various parties that are relevant to their needs, all under one roof.

MATRADE is the country’s trade promotion agency that was established in 1993. It was given a mandate to position Malaysia as a globally competitive trading nation as well as to develop local companies to be successful exporters. MATRADE supports and promotes the internationalisation efforts of Malaysian companies with the broad goal of increasing exports. It is responsible for implementing strategic initiatives in line with the needs of local industries as well as to drive trade to benefit the nation’s economy and ultimately the Rakyat.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) kickstarts 2018 by reinstating its well-known Market Development Grant (MDG) after the facilitation’s suspension last year. The move is to benefit more Malaysian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to export and is also a result of the Budget 2018 announcement by Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Razak in October last year.

The MDG provides an opportunity for Malaysian SMEs to apply for a reimbursable grant up to RM200,000 for their participation in export promotional activities namely International Trade Fairs, Trade & Investment Missions, Export Acceleration Missions, International Conferences and Listing Fee for Made-in-Malaysia Products in supermarkets, hypermarkets, retails centres overseas.

The MDG was introduced in 2002 with the objective to support Malaysian exporters’ core expenses in promoting their Malaysian products or services. The facilitation is one of a kind Government assistance in the country executed through MATRADE as it supports the growth of Malaysian brands globally.

MATRADE’s Chief Executive Officer Ir. Dr. Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen Madros said the MDG is a key facilitation for Malaysian companies and is popular among the local SMEs. “Since its inception, the MDG has benefitted 7,682 local companies who have penetrated Malaysia’s main markets such as China, the UAE (United Arab Emirates) and ASEAN, among others. The MDG embodies the Government’s efforts to grow Malaysian companies into global entrepreneurs and to accelerate Malaysia’s exports. The facilitation is a catalyst for local companies to export and strengthen their footprint overseas,” he mentioned.

The SMEs who have enjoyed the MDG are from sectors such as Food & Beverages, Building & Construction Materials, Furniture, Automotive and Information and Communication Technology (ICT), just to name a few.

The reinstatement of the MDG, which became effective on 1 January 2018, sees two new guidelines introduced, which are:
1) companies have to register with MATRADE under its Malaysian Exporters Registry or MER (companies who have registered have to update their information) and
2) companies must own an active business entity (NOT applicable for company less than one year).

All application for the MDG can be made online via www.matrade.gov.my/mdg/ within 40 days after the companies' participation in the trade promotion event. More information about the MDG can be obtained from http://www.matrade.gov.my/en/malaysian-exporters/services-for-exporters/exporters-development/market-development-grant-mdg. For assistance, MDG applicants can contact the MDG hotline at 03-62077593 or email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..