Malaysia has recorded strong sales results at the recently concluded 21st China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) held in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, by generating total sales of RM402.88 million.
The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) Deputy Chief Executive Officer Abu Bakar Yusof said the amount generated exceeded the RM320 million target set for the event.
“At the same time, the result shows the continued robust demand for Malaysian products in the Chinese market and highlights their sustained popularity among Chinese consumers,” Abu Bakar said.
The Malaysia Pavilion featured its largest participation since the Covid-19 era which included 12 government ministries and agencies as well as four trade associations. Key sectors represented included food and beverages, agricultural products, lifestyle, healthcare and wellness, as well as services such as logistics and talent management.
He highlighted that through CAEXPO and other similar platforms, Malaysia aims to deepen its economic and trade cooperation with China and other ASEAN countries which will also allow the nation to further strengthen its role in regional trade.
“Some of the upcoming expos we will be participating in include the 7th China International Import Expo (Nov 5 to 10 in Shanghai), the 19th China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair (Nov 15 to 18 in Guangzhou) and the Malaysia–China Summit (MCS 2024) (Dec 17 to 19 in Kuala Lumpur).
“The MCS 2024 will be the grand finale event of this series and we are expecting to draw significant participation from local, China as well as ASEAN, potentially records over RM2 billion in trade and investment opportunities,” Abu Bakar said, adding that MATRADE remains focused on supporting Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in expanding their global footprint.
“By offering comprehensive trade promotion services, including market intelligence, networking opportunities and financial assistance, MATRADE is empowering SMEs to capitalise on the vast potential of the Chinese market and compete on the international stage,” he said.
A significant highlight of this year’s CAEXPO was the pre-recorded address by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the grand opening ceremony on Sept 24, 2024.
To enhance the value of Malaysia’s participation at CAEXPO, MATRADE hosted a series of high-impact activities at the Malaysia Pavilion. These included product pitching sessions where 98 exhibitors presented their products to more than 70 local buyers, fostering potential business collaborations. In addition, memorandum of understanding exchange ceremonies, live streaming sessions with key opinion leaders (KOLs), a shopping festival and media interviews with both Chinese and Malaysian media added further visibility and engagement. The KOL live-streaming sessions were particularly successful, attracting nearly 200,000 views and 250,000 likes, highlighting the appeal of Malaysian products to Chinese consumers.
MATRADE also facilitated strategic site visits for Malaysian businesses to key facilities, including the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park, Qinzhou Port and the China-ASEAN Mercantile Exchange. These visits aimed to explore opportunities for market expansion and to better understand how these platforms could support Malaysian businesses in penetrating the Chinese market.
