Matrade, MFA urge furniture industry to embrace e-commerce

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) and Muar Furniture Association (MFA) jointly organised a seminar to promote e-commerce and encourage local furniture companies to penetrate global markets online.

Matrade director of e-Business and Information Technology, Raja Nor Zihan Raja Mohsin, said the seminar was in line with its initiative to promote selected sectors to reach global markets through e-commerce, as highlighted in the National ecommerce Strategic Roadmap.

“Furniture is a highly potential ecommerce sector. Our programme, e-TRADE, offers incentives for local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to start selling globally through the e-marketplaces.

“SMEs must take the opportunity to register for the programme and utilise the benefits. So far, furniture companies in e-TRADE have secured buyers from China, Singapore, Myanmar, Panama and Iraq,” she said in a statement yesterday.

The seminar themed, “Export Opportunities Through eCommerce For Furniture Industry”, was attended by some 70 MFA members and furniture companies from Johor.

Since January this year, an incentive worth RM5,000 has been provided to qualified companies under the e-TRADE programme to partially cover the listing fee imposed by international e-marketplaces and e-commercerelated services to the companies, Matrade said.

For the first quarter of 2017, exports of furniture recorded a growth of 5.1 per cent as compared to the same period in 2016.

Raja Nor Zihan said 955 companies had joined the eTRADE Programme since its introduction in October 2014, out of which 111 or 11.6 per cent were from the furniture industry.

Malaysian companies can apply to be an e-TRADE Programme participant throughwww. ma trade. gov.my/en/etrade or email their enquiries to etrade@matrade.gov. my. — Bernama