Mexico Aims For More Products In M'sian Agricutural Market- Envoy

By Samantha Tan KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 (Bernama) -- Mexico wants to export more of its agricultural products into Malaysia to further boost bilateral ties, established 42 years ago. Its Ambassador to Malaysia Carlos Felix Corona said Mexico hoped its major agricultural products such as avocados, which were currently not permitted to enter Malaysia due to technical reasons, tomatoes and lemons could be made available in the Malaysian market soon. "We are working with the Agriculture Department in Malaysia. We hope in the next six months, we will have some progress concerning technicalities so that the products can enter the Malaysian market," Corona told Bernama at the news agency's headquarters here Tuesday. The envoy explained that due to 'fitosanitario' reason (health and safety certificate), Mexico has to present such a certificate to the Malaysian authorities to enable the country to export its products as some kind of diseases had affected the counry's agricultural products. "So we need to provide to the Malaysian authorities technical information with scientific data regarding the matter. We are working on that and we did the same with Japan and South Korea," he explained, pointing out that avocadoes have already been exported to Japan, South Korea, Europe and the US. Corona said that Mexico was also looking at expanding and learning about the halal industry, which he said was an important component for Mexico to tap the huge Muslim population in the US. Joint ventures between Mexican and Malaysian companies could also be formed to penetrate the American market, he added. Furthermore, the envoy said that geographically Mexico was the bridge between North and Latin American, and with free trade agreements with 45 different countries, it could provide vast opportunities for Malaysian companies to access the huge market. Corona said that currently three Mexican corporations have investments in Malaysia namely Mission Foods, a subsidiary of Gruma, a Mexican multi-national corn flour milling and tortilla producer; Cemex, a Mexican-based company supplying ready-mix concrete for the first phase of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project; and KidZania, a privately held Mexican chain of family entertainment centre. On whether Mexican small and medium enterprises (SMEs) were eyeing the Malaysian market, he said that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement would lead to that possibility, adding that as TPP members, both countries have "important relationship." However, Corona pointed out that even without the TPP, Malaysia was already the ninth largest trading partner of Mexico, the number one in Southeast Asia and the fourth in Asia as well as the seventh provider of Mexican industry, with a total trade of US$7.5 billion. On areas which could further enhance ties, he said that Mexico and Malaysia needed to work and focus more on specific areas as well as leverage on each other's strength like in electronics, auto and aerospace industries. Felix said that Mexico and Malaysia were facing similar challenges such as in human capital, skilled workforce and innovation and technology, and as such there was a need to make reforms and measures in these areas rather than just focusing on free trade agreements. He also said that Mexico could learn from Malaysia's efforts in reducing proverty and the country's good friendship with China, while at the same time Malaysia could use Mexico as a platform to enter the US market as Mexico has the expertise, and over US$500 billion trade with the US. (photoBERNAMA) -- BERNAMA