Organised by the Malaysian Tea Trade Association, the Malaysia International Tea and Coffee Expo (MITCE) aims to increase information exchanges and embrace global economic links, said the organising chairman Ooi Wee Boon.
He underlined tea and coffee as the two key Asian trade products, and raised the fact that in Malaysia, tea consumption doubled from 14,000 to 24,000 tonnes over the past decade.
Participating countries are showcasing various tea and coffee samples at 76 booths over an area of over 5,000 square meters. Vietnamese products, especially Trung Nguyen coffee, have impressed visitors with their unique taste.
Two-way trade between Vietnam and Malaysia posted an average growth of 24 percent per year during the 2011-2013 period, according to Hoang Thi Lien, a representative from the Trade Office of the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia.
She noted that bilateral trade hit 9.1 billion USD in the year just gone, of which Vietnam enjoyed a trade surplus of 850 million USD.
In addition to crude oil, rice, electronic spare parts, computers, and plastic products, tea and coffee are the country’s major export lines.
In 2013, tea and coffee exports to Malaysia were estimated at 3.7 million USD and 40 million USD, respectively.
According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, tea and coffee farmers brought home 270,000 USD and 632,000 USD respectively in this January.-VNA
