KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 11 (Bernama) — The Ministry of International Trade and Industry is committed to work closely with the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) to enhance productivity and competitiveness in the manufacturing sector. Its Minister, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, said the ministry would work closely with FMM to see how the country’s competitiveness could be further enhanced. “If we are not competitive our companies cannot survive. “The ministry will continue to enhance the manufacturing sector’s contributions to the economy, especially in the creation of hubs,” he said. He said this to reporters after a networking session with the private sector agencies in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration here Tuesday. Mustapa held a closed-door meeting with the FMM Council, the highest governing body of FMM led by its President, Datuk Saw Choo Boon, before the networking session. Saw is also the co-chair of the government’s Special Task Force To...

Q1 2014 Approved Investments in the Manufacturing Sector Surpass Q1 2013 Record Eighty Five Per Cent of Jobs Created Are High Skilled Employment Malaysia successfully attracted a higher level of approved investments in the manufacturing sector in the first quarter (Q1) 2014 compared with the corresponding period of 2013. The country recorded RM17.1 billion of investments, an increase of 52.7% as compared with RM11.2 billion in the same period of 2013, reflecting its competitiveness as a location of choice for high value added manufacturing activities in the region. The manufacturing projects approved during the period are expected to generate about 18,677 job opportunities with major proportion of employment being in highly skilled occupations. It is encouraging to...

INITIATION OF ANTI-DUMPING INVESTIGATION CONCERNING IMPORTS OF POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE ORIGINATING IN OR EXPORTED FROM THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA AND THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA On 19 May 2014, the Government of Malaysia has received a petition from a domestic producer requesting imposition of anti-dumping duty on imports of polyethylene terephthalate. The petitioner alleges that imports of polyethylene terephthalate originating in or exported from the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Indonesia and the Republic of Korea are being dumped into Malaysia at a price much lower than the price in the domestic market of the alleged countries. The petitioner claims that this is causing material injury to the domestic industry in Malaysia. The petitioner further claims that the imports from the alleged countries have increased in terms of absolute quantity.  As a result, the petitioner had suffered material injury, among others, price...

INITIATION OF ANTI-DUMPING INVESTIGATION CONCERNING IMPORTS OF HOT-ROLLED COILS (HRC), CHEQUERED COILS AND PICKLED & OILED COILS (P&O COILS) ORIGINATING IN OR EXPORTED FROM THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA AND THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA On 20 May 2014, the Government of Malaysia received a petition from a domestic producer requesting an imposition of anti-dumping duty on imports of HRC, Chequered Coils and P&O Coils. The petitioner alleges that imports of HRC, Chequered Coils and P&O Coils originating in or exported from the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Indonesia and the Republic of Korea are being dumped into Malaysia at a price much lower than the price in the domestic market of the alleged countries. The petitioner claims that this has caused material injury to the domestic industry in Malaysia. The petitioner further claims that the imports from the alleged countries have increased in terms of absolute quantity.  As a result, the...

26 June 2014, Kuala Lumpur - YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI) led a dialogue session with 16 companies in Perlis, organised by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), today.  YB Minister was accompanied by YBhg. Dato’ Azman Mahmud, Chief Executive Officer of MIDA, and other officials from MITI and MIDA. According to Dato’ Sri Mustapa, “There are many opportunities in Perlis that investors should be made to be aware of. All that we need to do is to position Perlis as a state of opportunity.  The State is mainly driven by the agriculture sector.  Notwithstanding this, it is heartening to note that approved investments in the manufacturing sector for 2013 in Perlis have increased substantially by nine times the figures achieved in the year of 2011, a testimony that this state is becoming an increasingly competitive destination for investments.” “We are actively working with all stakeholders including the...

KOTA BAHARU, March 1 (BERNAMA) — ASEAN economic ministers (AEM) today wrapped up their two-day retreat here with a steady progress made towards implementing the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint, particularly key measures prioritised by member states. As the regional grouping moves towards the tail-end of the AEC implementation, it has progressively removed trade obstacles such as Non-Tariff Barriers (NTB), which are a clear impediment towards the realisation of the AEC. “There are a number of highlights (achieved) during this retreat. We’d talked about NTBs, listened to reports on the progress of the economic integration, and spent a lot of time on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP),” International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed told reporters on the final day of the two-day 21st ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Retreat (AEM) here, Sunday. Mustapa, who chaired the retreat, said eliminating non-tariff barriers is very...

KUALA LUMPUR, 19 Mei (Bernama) — Ketua Pengarah Pertubuhan Perdagangan Dunia (WTO) Roberto Azevedo yakin Rundingan Doha 2008 dapat dimuktamadkan tidak lama lagi memandangkan negara anggota mula menunjukkan tanda-tanda penerimaan agenda yang dibincangkan. Tanpa menyatakan sasaran khusus, beliau berkata kini negara anggota lebih bersikap terbuka antara satu sama lain berbanding dua tahun lalu. “Semasa saya menyertai organisasi ini dua tahun lepas, tidak ada langsung perbualan mengenai semua ini. Sekarang mereka telah keluar dari zon selesa dan dalam mod mencari penyelesaian. “Ya, memang sangat sukar namun saya percaya ia boleh dicapai dan saya rasa kami kini dalam anjakan objektif daripada mendapatkan ‘perjanjian terbaik’ kepada ‘yang boleh’,” katanya kepada pemberita selepas menyampaikan syarahan ‘Faedah dan Kepentingan WTO kepada Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Pembangunan Anggota’, di sini hari ini. Syarahan bersempena lawatan kerja dua hari beliau ke Malaysia...