KUALA LUMPUR, 10 June, 2021 – Amazon Global Selling and the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) are collaborating on e-Commerce trainings, resources, and programmes for Malaysian small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) retailers to support them in expanding their local businesses globally. An area of focus is the joint promotion of MATRADE’s eTRADE Programme 2.0, aimed to assist new companies in embarking on cross-border e-commerce and educate SMEs on how they can use the tools and resources offered through e-Trade 2.0 to begin their journey selling globally through Amazon.
As part of this collaboration, Amazon and MATRADE recently hosted their inaugural webinar on how Malaysian sellers can seize the vast opportunities in e-commerce by selling to consumers in the United States of America (USA) and Singapore. With over 600 participants, Amazon and MATRADE plans to roll out two more sessions in June and August this year. Sellers can register for the session on June 25th at http://bit.ly/amazonetrade.
“Our collaboration with Amazon Global Selling will encourage SMEs to leverage Amazon’s global presence and showcase their products and services to customers across the world. The government, through the Ministry of International Trade & Industry (MITI) and its agency, MATRADE, is supporting these efforts through eTrade2.0 Programme, which commenced in March this year, with the objective of enhancing exports by SMEs through e-commerce websites. This programme also ensures that SMEs remain resilient during this challenging times as export revenue generated will benefit the beneficiaries across the export supply chain,” said YBrs. Mr. Mohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz, Chief Executive Officer of MATRADE.
“Amazon hopes to support Malaysian sellers to start exporting or increasing their current export business, assisting them in growing their presence in cross-border e-commerce. Amazon’s innovative tools, services, and robust network worldwide will empower local SMEs to overcome operational barriers and expand their global footprint – taking their unique Made-in-Malaysia products to a global audience. We are committed to making exports and cross-border e-commerce easier for Malaysian businesses to empower them to tap into their full potential,” said Bernard Tay, Head of Amazon Global Selling in Southeast Asia.
Supporting Malaysia sellers through the eTRADE Programme
The eTRADE Programme 2.0 is an enhancement of the eTRADE Programme under the 11th Malaysia Plan (2016-2020) that is aimed at accelerating exports via sustained participation on cross-border e-commerce channels. Under the 11th Malaysia Plan, the eTRADE Programme has benefitted 3,358 SMEs and has successfully generated RM320 million worth of exports. Exports were to more than 40 countries, consisting of both traditional and emerging regions like the USA, Japan, China, ASEAN, Bhutan, Papua New Guinea, and Mauritius. Major products exported include food and beverages, toiletries and cosmetics, furniture and apparels, garments, and accessories.
The eTRADE 2.0 Programme will continue to facilitate new companies to onboard cross-border e-commerce websites for export. This enhanced programme will provide support to SMEs that are already doing e-commerce, such as through digital marketing and e-commerce-related trainings that can help them to grow to the next level.
Herbal Revival Sdn Bhd, one of the leading herbal and nutritional supplement manufacturers in Malaysia under their Thomson brand, was one of the companies that benefited from the eTRADE Programme 1.0. Back in 2020, Herbal Revival Sdn Bhd leveraged the facilitation programme to engage Malaysia-based e-commerce enabler, Axis Group, to help them manage their global business on Amazon. Using logistics and customer service resources such as Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA), the company was able to acquire new international customers and grow their business in the USA. Building on their encouraging cross-border experience, Herbal Revival Sdn Bhd plans to expand to the Amazon Singapore store next.
Scale swiftly and reach a global audience with Amazon
Globally, more than 1.9 million SMEs sell on Amazon’s online stores, making up close to 60% of Amazon’s retail sales. Through Amazon Global Selling, companies interested in selling cross-border on Amazon.sg and Amazon.com can tap into Amazon’s expertise through its suite of seller resources and consultations to hone their e-commerce capabilities and capture new business opportunities. Interested sellers can also contact Amazon through a direct message on Amazon’s Facebook page.
To better support local SMEs, Amazon has also launched its inaugural Seller Ambassador Programme in Malaysia. Through the programme, new sellers can register for regular meet-up sessions with experienced Amazon sellers from Malaysia and across the region, to learn from their personal experience, gain insights on various aspects of cross-border e-commerce operations, and learn the best practices of those who have found success in selling their products to overseas customers.
“I began selling in Amazon in 2013, starting my journey by assisting a sports-related company to expand their e-commerce business overseas, primarily targeting US customers. In less than a year of selling on Amazon, the sales volume from Amazon made up 30% of the company’s total sales. The company subsequently expanded into Europe and Japan. With that experience, I ventured into selling on Amazon myself, using a variety of services to help manage my inventory, sales forecasts, and logistics. Today, with the great infrastructure support from Amazon and a well-connected global supply chain, a successful global business is within reach of local suppliers and manufacturers. I look forward to help other sellers to bring more Malaysian products to the global market by sharing my own experience,” said Wong Kia Chik, an Amazon ambassador from Penang.
Learn more about the millions of small and medium-sized businesses growing with Amazon at https://www.aboutamazon.com/impact/empowerment/small-businesses. For more information about selling on Amazon, engage Seller Ambassadors, or to watch the playback of the webinar, visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/agssea/.
