KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) wants to strengthen its presence in emerging markets while maintaining its foothold in traditional ones to spur the country’s timber and furniture export growth.
In a statement yesterday, MTC Chairman, Datuk Wee Jeck Seng, said the council has a budget and programmes to focus on China and India which were the biggest consumer markets in the world.
“We will be setting up the China Export Pavilion during the Export Furniture Exhibition to bring buyers over here in March,” he said.
For 2016, MTC would also be at the 35th International Famous Furniture Fair in Dongguan (March), Domotex Asia/Chinafloor in Shanghai (March) and Sylvawood also in Shanghai (June), he said.
“Through our Guangzhou office, MTC will be making our debut at the 38th Japan Home and Building Show in Tokyo in November,” he said.
Wee said MTC would be also tapping the Indian market by setting up a regional office there.
“India is a tough market to penetrate because its duties are very high. However, under the Free Trade Agreement, the duties have been revised and this has made it more competitive for Malaysian products to be in the Indian market,” he said.
Meanwhile, MTC Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Dr Abdul Rahim Nik, said Europe, US and Australia had been traditional markets for the last 12 years while markets in West Asia, North Africa, Turkey and the former Soviet countries have been developing.
For timber product-related exhibitions in Europe, MTC would be setting up booths in Carrefour Du Bois in Nantes, France (June) and the Timber Expo in Birmingham, UK (October). — Bernama