Expanding beyond Malaysia’s borders can transform your business. Exporting opens doors to new revenue streams, reduces your dependence on the domestic market, and exposes your company to global best practices that can sharpen your competitive edge at home. But international trade requires more than ambition. You need to understand what exporting involves, how to prepare your business, and where to find support. This guide walks you through the fundamentals of exporting for Malaysian small and medium enterprises, from understanding the basics to tapping into government programmes designed to help businesses like yours succeed overseas.
Getting Started with Export
Getting Started with Export: A Guide for Malaysian SMEs
Exporting is the act of moving goods or commodities out of Malaysia by land, sea or air, or placing items on a vessel, vehicle or aircraft with the intention of selling them abroad. When done correctly, selling overseas is a powerful way to grow your enterprise and can materially improve margins and revenue.
Balancing local and international sales can shield your business if demand falls in one market. Entering foreign markets also introduces you to different ideas, marketing approaches and competitive practices that you may not encounter domestically. The experience of tackling new markets, with their challenges and successes, builds capability and usually strengthens how you compete at home.
Export success doesn’t happen by chance. It requires deliberate preparation, strategic planning and sustained commitment. Start by researching target markets and ensuring your product meets regulations and standards. You’ll also need to prepare the internal processes needed to trade internationally: logistics, documentation, pricing, and payment terms.
Yes. A range of programmes exist to encourage and assist Malaysian SMEs to export. MATRADE (Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation), as the country’s export promotion agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), runs exporter development schemes and promotional activities. MATRADE collaborates with several agencies including SME Corp. Malaysia, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and SME Bank to deliver these initiatives. In addition, there are specialised agencies and bodies offering export related support tailored to particular industries and sectors.
(Note: the original SMEinfo page includes a table of industry specific agencies and quick links.)
SME Corp. Malaysia acts as the central coordinator for SME policy and programmes across ministries and agencies. For more details about SME Corp. Malaysia and its role in SME development, please visit their official site.