MALAYSIA-MOROCCO TALKS FOCUS ON PALM OIL, PHOSPHATES

From Muin Abdul Majid

RABAT, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Morocco have concurred on the need to
enhance bilateral trade, with both respectively eyeing ways to increase palm oil
and phosphates/fertilizers exports, as well as other products, with one another.


This was the outcome of talks between Malaysian Plantation Industries and
Commodities Minister Bernard Dompok and Morocco's Foreign Trade Minister
Abdellatif Mazouz here Thursday.

Official figures showed that total trade between Malaysia and Morocco stood
at only US$70 million last year.

"Of course I'm particularly interested in the export of palm oil because
Malaysia is one of the biggest producers and exporters of palm oil.

"And I think that there's enough interest among the business community in
Morocco to go further into this," said Dompok when briefing reporters on the
outcome of the meeting in the Moroccan capital.

According to him, Malaysian embassy officials here were expected to have
further discussions with Foreign Trade Ministry officials to move things
forward, including trying to do business matching among the private sectors in
the two countries.

In 2008, Malaysia exported 9,657 tonnes of palm oil and palm oil products to
Morocco valued at RM37.8 million.

Morocco's edible oil market is currently dominated by soft oils comprising
mainly of soybean and sunflower oils.

Dompok said Malaysia was producing a lot of agriculture products which
entailed the need for fertilisers.

"And Morocco is in a very happy position of being able to supply the
materials used for fertilisers. So they are keen to see how this can be
developed with Malaysia," said the Malaysian minister.

He expressed optimism that Morocco would be able to buy more palm oil
and related products from Malaysia, as well as serve as a springboard into the
surrounding region and beyond.

Dompok also met with senior officials from the Ministry of Industry,
Trade and New Technologies.

The minister is in Morocco on a mission to further promote Malaysian
palm oil trade following a trip to Turkey where he opened the Palm Oil
Trade Seminar (POTS) 2009 in Istanbul as well as the Malaysian Palm Oil
Council regional office.
He leaves Morocco Friday.
-- BERNAMA