AMPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MSIAN EXPORTERS IN JAPAN

From Tengku Noor Shamsiah Tengku Abdullah

TOKYO, March 14 (Bernama) -- The opportunities are plenty for Malaysian
exporters to enter the Japanese market, Matrade Trade Commissioner in Japan,
Yuslinawati Mohd Yusof said.

"There is a lot of opportunities for Malaysian companies to venture
particularly in the food industry," she told Bernama.

Japan only has 40 percent food sufficiency and 60 percent is imported.

Currently the Japanese depend on food produce from China but there have been
several issues like the recent such melamine issue and they looking for new
sources from other countries as well, she said.

"That's why last week we participated in Foodex 2009, the largest food and
beverage exhibition in Japan."

Yuslinawati said Matrade received more than 1,000 enquiries during the
exhibition.

"We received them not only from Japan but Taiwan and Korea as well as from
other neighbouring countries," she said.

Fourteen Malaysian companies participated in the exhibition.

According to the trade commissioner, potential products for Malaysian
exporters to look into included palm oil based products and wood products.

She added that palm oil was the major product exported here.

Yuslinawati called on Malaysians to export their wood products to Japan as
its government was now encouraging developers to build more homes to spur the
construction industry.

-- BERNAMA