KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 – The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) shall lead Malaysia’s inaugural participation at the 16th Philippine SME Business Expo (PHILSME), taking place from 9 to 10 May 2025 at the SMX Convention Centre in the overseas city of Manila, Philippines.
As a part of this strategic initiative, MATRADE will coordinate a National Pavilion featuring 10 Malaysian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This marks the first time Malaysia is presenting a unified national presence at PHILSME, one of the Philippines’ largest business-to-business (B2B) trade events focused on SME development.
“MATRADE’s debut at PHILSME reflects a significant step in our strategic efforts to strengthen trade ties with the Philippines, one of our key trading partners within ASEAN,” said Datuk Mohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz, Chief Executive Officer of MATRADE. “We are confident that Malaysian SMEs bring valuable solutions and competitive advantages that align well with the evolving needs of the Philippines’ market.”
The Malaysian Pavilion will feature companies across a broad spectrum of sectors, including information and communications technology (ICT), digital solutions, halal consumer goods, food and beverage, franchising, and business support services. The exhibition will highlight Malaysia’s innovative and high-quality offerings, while fostering opportunities for partnerships, distributorships, and joint ventures with Filipino enterprises that will bode well for the future of economy and diplomatic relations for both countries.
The participation at PHILSME 2025 comes at a time of economic growth in the Philippines, with the country’s GDP forecasted to grow by 6.0% in 2025 and 6.1% in 2026. This positive outlook, coupled with rising domestic demand and ongoing public investment, presents a favourable environment for regional business expansion and cross-border collaboration.
Trade between Malaysia and the Philippines continues to show strong growth, increasing by 12.6% in the first quarter of 2025 to USD2.05 billion (RM9.12 billion) compared to USD1.82 billion (RM8.59 billion) in the same period last year. Malaysia’s exports rose by 12.5% to USD1.48 billion (RM6.57 billion), while imports from the Philippines grew 12.9% to USD0.57 billion (RM2.55 billion), underscoring the strengthening of bilateral trade ties.
As members of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), Malaysia and the Philippines will benefit greatly from enhanced trade facilitation and regulatory alignment. This enables Malaysian SMEs to tap into the Philippines’ vibrant SME sector, explore long-term commercial collaborations, and expand their footprint in the regional market.
