Rubber will stay a Malaysian priority, says country's K show rep.

ERJ staff report (BC)

Düsseldorf – Even though there were only 12 Malaysian exhibitors of plastics and rubber products (including 10 exhibitors under the aegis of the Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation) at the just-concluded K 2013 fair, compared to 20 in 2010, rubber and plastics products will continue to be vital components of Malaysia's exports in the future, Manik Mehta reported for the National News Agency of Malaysia (Bernama).

Lai-Lyn Fong, general manager of Edaran Anfas (M) Sdn Bhd based in Petaling Jaya, the Malaysian representative of K show organiser Messe Düsseldorf, is quoted as saying that plastics and rubber are two priority industries of Malaysia.

"These two industries have, traditionally, had strong roots in Malaysia and will continue to play an important role in the future as well, even as new technologies and themes such as 'green products' increasingly influence the sector's future," Fong told Bernama at the Düsseldorf exhibition centre.

She said it is important for Malaysian companies to attend shows such as K because this is "the venue where buyers and sellers from around the world meet under one roof."

"Malaysians not only meet business associates in Düsseldorf but also get exposure to the latest technology, modern marketing techniques and feedback on the newest trends in the market," she added.

According to Malaysia's Department of Statistics, exports of manufactured rubber products in 2012 amounted to $6.5 billion (€4.7 billion), up from $5.9 billion (€4.3 billion) in 2011. The top five importers of Malaysian rubber products have traditionally been China, USA, Germany, Japan and Thailand.

Malaysia's rubber product exports to Germany in 2012 amounted to $290m (€210m), up 4.9 per cent from $276m (€210m) in 2011.

During the January-July 2013 period, Malaysia's rubber product exports amounted to $188m (€136m), up 16.2 per cent from $162m (€117m) in the year-earlier period. Rubber gloves account for roughly 85 per cent of Malaysia's rubber exports.

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Full story from Bernama