Kuala Lumpur, March 16, 2022: The world’s leading international express service provider, DHL Express, has today announced the launch of GoTrade in Malaysia. The new programme aims to facilitate export-led growth for small and medium-sized enterprises. The initiative will also equip business owners with practical knowledge and resources to navigate the complexities of shipping abroad and accessing foreign markets.
“Trade is a key driver of economic development and is especially crucial now, as the global market is on the road to recovery from the pandemic,” said Julian Neo, Managing Director of DHL Express Malaysia and Brunei. “However, administrative, technical, and regulatory barriers to entry can hamper SMEs from expanding overseas. GoTrade marks our efforts to mitigate these bottlenecks by leveraging public and private sector cooperation as well as our industry expertise and capabilities. As a result, we can contribute to the success of the communities we serve in line with our purpose of connecting people and improving lives.”
SMEs are the backbone of the local economy, making up 98.5 percent of all businesses and employing 48 percent of the country’s workforce1. Yet, contribution to total exports remains low at only 18 percent2, representing a largely untapped opportunity. Studies have shown that organisations involved in global trade are 8.5 percent less likely to fail3, 21 percent more productive4, and pay up to 19 percent higher wages than those that do not5.
To this end, GoTrade features a network of 14 partners to assist participating companies at various stages of their globalisation journeys: financing (TFX Islamic, Funding Societies, and Vynn Capital), packaging (Ranpak, Anfotec, and M Force), photography (Noissues and One DMP Enterprise), graphic design (Brandripe), and e-commerce solutions (Meekco.Asia, Everpeaks, Akros One Solution, Vlan Asia, and Megamail).
The programme further includes a series of webinars during which business owners can learn to adopt digital transformation, appeal their brands to international audiences, and devise export strategies with guidance from trade specialists both within and outside DHL. Also in the pipeline are peer-to-peer sharing sessions, lead exchange activities, and collaboration with government agencies on trade support for SMEs.
GoTrade is one of the four social impact programmes at Deutsche Post DHL Group. The other three include GoTeach (youth employability), GoHelp (disaster management), and GoGreen (climate protection). All demonstrate the Group’s commitment to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through a concentrated focus on the environment, social responsibility, and corporate governance in its business decisions and operations across the world.
