TOKYO: Malaysia expects higher exports of halal products to Japan this year, following the recent collaboration between Halal Development Corporation Bhd and Acrosx Japan Inc.
While not disclosing any targets, Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said the collaboration would enable HDC and Acrosx to develop and establish a framework for strategic cooperation.
The collaboration will include advisory, capacity-building and technical assistance to create a vibrant and sustainable business landscape for the Muslim-friendly consumer segment in Japan.
Azmin said the collaboration would augment Japanese businesses to tap into the halal industry as a new revenue stream, in view of the exponential growth of the Muslim-friendly segment in the region.
“This collaboration between HDC and Acrosx will open new opportunities for Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to penetrate the Japanese halal market and explore new market opportunities for export of Malaysian halal products to Japan.
“For Malaysian enterprises, this collaboration represents a valuable opportunity to increase bilateral trade, especially through the supply of halal ingredients and semi-processed products which are in great demand all over the world,” he said during the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between HDC and Acrosx and the launch of Muslim-friendly Standards here today.
Azmin said in 2018, RM2.5 billion worth of halal goods were exported to Japan, 90 per cent of which consisted of halal food products and halal ingredients.
He said toward this end, HDC plays an important role to develop more collaboration with other countries to spearhead the development of Malaysia’s halal economy.
“HDC is the custodian of the Malaysian halal economy and they are responsible for spearheading development of the halal industry in Malaysia.
“With the new management, I believe HDC will play a better role, not only between Malaysia and Japan, but we would see more collaboration with many other countries in the near future,” he said.
Meanwhile, Azmin said it was now timely for HDC to push forward its global halal initiative following the novel coronavirus outbreak, which believed to have originated from a seafood market in central Chinese city of Wuhan.
“This is very timely for HDC to push forward their halal initiative. For the last many years we have been occupied for certification of halal products.
“But when you talk about halal industry, it is beyond certification. We want to develop a clear ecosystem from the raw materials, logistics, financing until the end product.
“I think that is what HDC is doing now. They are introducing some major intiatives and what we witness this morning is one of those intiative. Hopefully, we will see the end result soon,” he said.