21 halal products & services firms to participate in EAM to Japan: MATRADE

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 -- A total of 21 Malaysian companies from various sectors such as food and beverage (F&B), cosmetics, pharmaceutical, e-commerce and Shariah-compliant logistics will participate in Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation’s (MATRADE) Export Acceleration Mission (EAM) on halal products and services to Japan, from Nov 4-8, 2019. 

MATRADE, which is spearheading the initiative, said the selected companies were those that meet the high standards and requirements set for the Japanese market.

The trade promotion agency is going all out to promote awareness in halal products in Japan and create business linkages for Malaysian companies with buyers and partners in that country.

The EAM is part of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry’s ‘Digital Trade Halal Value Chain for Tokyo Olympics 2020’ initiative, which was launched in August.

“The initiative leverages the prospects from the high demand for products and services to serve approximately eight million Muslim visitors out of a total of 40 million tourists expected to visit Japan next year for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, set to take place from July 24–Aug 9,” MATRADE said in a statement today.

It said the initiative will bring Malaysia closer to becoming a Global Halal Economy Enabler for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

In conjunction with the EAM, a number of programmes have been lined up such as business-to-business meetings, industry visits, sales pitching, networking sessions, media trends briefing and seminar.

Among the Malaysian companies that already have access to the Japanese market are Golden Fresh Sdn Bhd which supplies frozen seafood products; Bangi Golf Resort (supplies ready-to-eat packaged halal food to restaurants and hotels in Tokyo); Hernan Corporation (durian mochi); Brahim’s Food Japan Co. (retort pouch food maker), Bunga Raya Restaurant (offers authentic Malaysian cuisine); and Manhattan Fish Market, a halal restaurant chain.

Currently, MATRADE is assisting these exporters to promote their products and services to targeted buyers in Japan.

Moving forward, the corporation said it will continue to assist Malaysian companies to further promote their halal products and services by facilitating the success of their participation in renowned trade shows globally such as MATRADE’s Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS), FOODEX in Japan, Gulfood in Dubai and Anuga in Germany.

In 2018, Malaysia’s export of halal products was worth RM40 billion. The F&B industry accounted for the largest export value at RM20 billion, followed by halal ingredients (RM14.5 billion), cosmetics and personal care products (RM3 billion) and palm oil derivatives (RM1.8 billion).

Meanwhile, Japan was Malaysia’s third-largest export destination after Singapore and China, with an export value of RM2.5 billion.

Malaysia’s main exports of halal products to Japan were food ingredients (RM1.3 billion), F&B (RM1.0 billion), cosmetics and personal care (RM106 million), palm oil derivatives (RM70 million), industrial chemicals (RM29 million) and pharmaceuticals (RM9 million).

-- BERNAMA