Mohd Mustafa (third left) and Neo (second right) pose with (from left) Matrade’s senior director, transformation and digital trade division Khairul Annuar Abdul Halim, Matrade’s deputy CEO of exporters development Abu Bakar Yusof and DHL Express Malaysia’s head of commercial Ooi Chooi Lee.
KUCHING: DHL Express has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) whereby under the agreement, both parties will launch the ‘Trade and Grow Beyond Borders’ programme in the first quarter of 2023 to develop and enhance export readiness among Malaysian businesses.
The new initiative serves as a platform to support local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to uncover latent foreign demand and tap into overseas markets.
DHL Express’ international specialists and its network of industry partners will lead a series of modular training focused on globalisation, from financing and marketing to logistics and e-commerce.
It also aims to foster collaboration among the target audience and provide businesses with guidance.
The MOU was formalised by Matrade chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Mohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz and DHL Express Malaysia and Brunei managing director Julian Neo.
“At Matrade, we strive to encourage more MSMEs to seize opportunities abroad and increase their export volume,” said Mohd Mustafa.
“However, we acknowledge the challenges that come with taking their business across borders and understand how
the right support can make all the difference to a company with an eye on international expansion.
“We can help them make that leap through our partnership with DHL.”
Neo highlighted that trade is a key driver of economic development and resilience, allowing MSMEs to scale up and future-proof their business.
“We are delighted to work with Matrade to cultivate a more positive global outlook among local entrepreneurs,” Neo added.
“This new program continues our efforts to mitigate export bottlenecks by leveraging public and private sector cooperation in addition to our expertise and capabilities.
“As facilitators of global trade, we can contribute to the success of local entrepreneurs.”
The program is open to participating companies of Matrade’s Mid-Tier Companies Development Program (MTCDP), GlobPreneur Program, as well as Bumiputera, Women, and Youth Exporters Development Program (BWYEDP).
There are plans to extend the scope to include other companies registered with Matrade.
The MOU further provides a framework for both organizations to develop a sustainable and robust trade ecosystem.
This includes collaboration in the fields of networking, capacity-building, leads and knowledge exchange and trade activities.
‘Trade and Grow Beyond Borders’ is organised as part of GoTrade, a social impact programme of Deutsche Post DHL Group that assists export-led growth for small and medium-sized enterprises.
The initiative equips business owners with practical
knowledge and resources to navigate the complexities of shipping abroad and accessing foreign markets.