Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas has expressed hope that Malaysia could grow its share of China’s vast furniture market.

Last year, China exported furniture valued at RM252 million to Malaysia, but the world’s second largest economy only imported RM33 million worth of furniture from Malaysia, he said.

“Malaysian furniture has yet to successfully penetrate the Chinese market,” he said, adding that China’s vast market has been a great opportunity for Malaysian exhibitors to tap into.

Speaking to Bernama after visiting the 20th China Furniture 2014 here on Friday, he said he hoped with China’s expanding middle class the trend would reverse in the future with Malaysia’s furniture exports to China surpassing the value of its imports from China.

The annual exhibition attracted some 850 exhibitors globally, including over 40 from Malaysia.

Uggah said the visit, his first to a China furniture fair here, was to help plan strategies to increase Malaysia’s share of the huge furniture market in China.

Uggah is leading a Palm Oil, Rubber and Timber Promotion Mission to China from Sept 12 to 17.

The delegation comprises some 60 representatives, including from his ministry, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB), Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council (MREPC), Malaysian Timber Industry Board (MTIB), Malaysian Timber Council (MTC), Malaysian Pepper Board (MPB) and the private sector.  The mission’s objective is to strengthen bilateral trade in palm oil, rubber and timber products and to discuss with private sector representatives possible areas in which to further strengthen business linkages between China and Malaysia. — Bernama