Malaysian Pavilion at Paris Trade Fair to Feature 38 Brands

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Pavilion at the Salon International de l’alimentation (SIAL) Paris 2018 trade fair from Oct 21-25 will feature 38 brands. The move is part of efforts to promote and boost Malaysia's export of food & beverages (F&B) products to Europe and beyond.  In a statement, the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) said the Malaysian Pavilion would house three government bodies, namely the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry, the Malaysia Palm Oil Council and Malaysia Pepper Board.  "MATRADE will be spearheading Malaysia's 13th participation in the trade fair. The participating exporters will be offering a wide range of products such as coconut-based products, coffee, tea and cocoa, ready-to-eat meals, beverages, noodles, confectioneries, cooking oil, frozen food, sauce & paste and functional food,” it said. SIAL Paris is held biennially and the platform provides an opportunity for Malaysian companies to learn the latest market trends. In 2016, the event generated export sales worth RM49.3 million for the Malaysian companies. Meanwhile, MATRADE's Trade Commissioner to Frankfurt, Badrul Hisham said Malaysia is a benchmark for other countries on halal matters, due to the country's conducive halal ecosystem. This includes the certification systems, standard and regulations, infrastructure, incentives, human capital and Islamic banking which are well supported by effective frameworks from various government institutions. In 2017, total trade between Malaysia and the European Union (EU) amounted to RM174.9 billion. Malaysia's total trade to the EU totalled RM95.3 billion, while imports were at RM79.6 billion. Currently, France is Malaysia's third largest trading partner in the EU, registering RM18.6 billion in 2017. Malaysia's exports of processed food to the EU from January-August this year was valued at RM367.7 million.  -- BERNAMA