MALAYSIA – New Zealand is set to introduce food products to Malaysian restaurants and hotels as part of the island nation’s efforts to expand its food service industry into Malaysia, authorities said.
New Zealand Trade Commissioner to Malaysia and Brunei Matt Richie said a business delegation from New Zealand will visit Malaysia this year to explore business opportunities.
Richie said expanding the food service industry into Malaysia is crucial for New Zealand because the island country’s exports of goods and services take up 30 percent of gross domestic product.
About 75 percent of New Zealand’s exports fall under the food service category, Ritchie revealed.
To introduce New Zealand’s food products to Malaysia’s hotels and restaurants, New Zealand will hold a food fair dubbed “Food Connection” by the end of this month.
The food fair is in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the New Zealand-ASEAN relationship, said Richie.
New Zealand exports to Malaysia is expected to get a huge boost when tariffs on 99.5 percent of New Zealand’s current exports to Malaysia will be gone by 2016 under the free trade agreement involving the ASEAN group. – BusinessNewsAsia.com