KUALA LUMPUR: Taiwan is not overly concerned that China has suspended certain food product imports, due to the availability of other markets, such as Malaysia.
Following the escalation of tensions between Taiwan and China of late, the latter has suspended imports from 35 Taiwanese exporters of biscuits and pastries since early this month.
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia economic division director James Chang remarked that similar to Malaysia, Taiwan is a trading economy.
“We are not only focused on the Chinese market, we are focused on the global market. So no matter where (if) there is a chance for us to promote Taiwanese products, we will go. This (suspension) is not a big influence to us ... these kinds of trade promotion or events, we hold them around the world,” he told reporters after the launch of the Taiwan Food Tour today.
Chang affirmed that Malaysia is a friendly country and would like to introduce Taiwanese products to Malaysia, especially its halal food products for which it sees great potential in the local market.
He said there are 1,061 Taiwanese manufacturers and eateries that are halal-certified in Taiwan. In 2021, the Taiwan Halal Integrity Development Association were among the 84 halal logos from 46 countries that were approved by Department of Islamic Development Malaysia.
Last year, agriculture and food products to Malaysia posted an export value of US$2.19 million (RM9.78 million), up 1.2% compared with US$2.16 million in 2020, according to Chang.
Between January and December 2021, the export value of Taiwanese baked confectionery and cereal was around US$209.49 million, an increase of 13.5% compared with US$185.42 milion in 2020. Taiwan’s top five export markets include the US, mainland China, Hong Kong, South Korea and the Netherlands. Malaysia is Taiwan’s 13th largest export market, coming in behind Singapore and Vietnam in the Southeast Asian region.
The Taiwan Food Tour is a multinational marketing plan conceived to help Taiwan food producers expand business opportunities in the post-lockdown world. Launched yesterday, the initiative targets multiple markets, including Malaysia, and some of the products featured, such as pineapple cakes, mochi and suncakes, are loved by many Malaysians.
The initiative is jointly promoted by Taiwan’s Bureau of Foreign Trade and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (Taitra), and will be focusing on the South Korean, Vietnamese, Malaysian and Singaporean markets in its first outing. Pop-up events will be held in shopping malls and hypermarkets in the four countries to promote Taiwanese delicacies. There are also plans to hold as many as 50 sales and promotional activities in 13 countries, which is estimated to bring in more than US$62 million in business opportunities and attract some 50,000 consumers to related events featuring thousands of products, including Taiwanese pastries, beverages, instant noodles, dried fruits and more.
Taiwan Food Tour press conferences were held concurrently in Taipei, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, and Ho Chi Minh City, with a live link segment joining the events in the five cities. Taiwan Bureau of Foreign Trade director-general Cynthia Kiang said Taiwanese food is hugely popular globally, especially its pineapple tarts and boba tea, which have become the face of Taiwanese delicacies and are must-try foods for visitors to Taiwan. However, many fans were unable to enjoy these delicious foods due to the global pandemic, and the food tour aims to bring Taiwan’s healthy and safe food to the world.
In order to continue its expansion into the Malaysian market, Taitra will organise a delegation to participate in the Malaysia International Halal Showcase to be held in September and the 8th Selangor International Expo in October. It is also planning to organise Taiwanese pastry-related events in Malaysia in the future.
Malaysian consumers can purchase Taiwanese food products in major retailers such as Aeon and Isetan and the steady stream of promotional plans will no doubt see more brands and products launched in the foreseeable future.
