NEW YORK, July 23 — More must be done to promote Malaysia as a strong and quality exporter of upper-end products, in areas such as food and fashion textiles through participation in international trade shows and conferences, while companies can build their branding to penetrate the United States, the world’s largest consumer market.
Mohd Majid, a Penang-based supplier of textile accessories, told Bernama that since Malaysia was a much smaller country and has an export-dependent economy, it is all the more imperative for it to be present at such events.
He lamented that Malaysian textile companies have stopped showcasing their products at two of the world’s largest textile trade fairs, the Heimtextil (home-textiles and contract textiles) and TechTextil (non-woven, technical textiles) of Frankfurt.
He said the Malaysian textile industry’s argument that it has “outpriced itself” in the global market because of rising costs and labour shortage, does not hold water.
“After all, you also have Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand, which showcase their products, despite higher costs.
“There is no magic wand, and the hallmark of being able to provide good-quality products is reliability, with innovative designs as well as good after-sales service,” he added.
Malaysians use the myopic argument that it is expensive showcasing products at international exhibition venues.
They have to spend some money, initially, to get contacts and a first-hand exposure to the products and marketing techniques, employed by competitors.
Mohd Majid recently visited the TexWorld show in New York, which was held in parallel with another subshow called Apparel Sourcing, where large contingents of Asian exhibitors were present.
He said the Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation(Matrade), which promotes Malaysia’s exports, should undertake a more aggressive export drive in the US, whose consumer market in value terms, far exceeds China and India. — Bernama
