KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 — Malaysia’s January – July 2022 furniture exports have recorded an increase versus a year ago despite the many challenges facing the industry, the Malaysian Furniture Council (MFC) said.
Its president Khoo Yeow Chong, speaking to Bernama at the Reka Interiors Exhibition (RiX) 2022 in the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today, that total overall furniture exports, including wooden furniture, stood at RM8.50 billion against RM7.20 billion for the same period in 2021.
“We would like to thank the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and the Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) for actively promoting Malaysian furniture products around the globe,” he said.
On a similar note, Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) chief operations officer Noraihan Abdul Rahman said that wooden furniture exports for the period amounted to RM6.93 billion, a 14.4 per cent increase from the same period last year.
“The strengthening of the US dollar also contributed to the increase in export value,” she said.
At the RiX event, MTC, MFC and the Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers (MIID) also announced the completion of TIMB3R Design Incubator Programme’s first and second editions, a first-of-its-kind furniture and timber products design and manufacturing initiative.
The programme aims to grow Malaysia’s timber and furniture sectors and to strategically strengthen the design and manufacturing value chains to serve the international market.
The six-month programme connects participating designers with manufacturers to conceptualise, design, and create one commercially viable furniture and timber product for the global market.
Final products will premiere at the Malaysia Export Furniture Exhibition (EFE) 2023, one of the largest international furniture and furnishing fairs in Southeast Asia.
— Bernama
