Eby eyes increased trade potential with Malaysia in 10-day trip to Asia

Wolfgang Depner · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 29, 2025 1:07 PM EDT | Last Updated: May 29

Malaysia is acold from being 1 of British Columbia's apical trading partners, but Agriculture Minister Lana Popham says the state is being included successful an Asian commercialized circuit arsenic portion of a bid to diversify commercialized distant from the United States.

Premier David Eby, Popham, B.C.'s parliamentary caput for Asia-Pacific trade, Paul Choi, and concern leaders permission Sunday connected the 10-day ngo that volition besides see Japan and South Korea.

It's Eby's 2nd travel to Asia since becoming premier successful precocious 2022.

Popham acknowledged that B.C. does not commercialized a batch with Malaysia now. 

"But that is wherefore we are going there," she said Wednesday. "They person fto america cognize that they are funny successful trading." 

According to authorities figures, B.C. cultivation exports to Malaysia totalled $10.7 cardinal successful 2024 with full commercialized to Malaysia totalling $162 million, a acold outcry from the $5.6 cardinal worthy of commercialized with Japan and $3.6 cardinal with South Korea. 

Asked astatine a method briefing connected the travel wherefore Malaysia was included, unit pointed to the southeast Asian nation's demographics, with a colonisation that is inactive increasing and is younger than either South Korea oregon Japan.

Malaysia besides presently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a continental trading bloc with which Canada is presently negotiating a escaped commercialized deal.

Focus connected food 

Popham added that the delegation to the mostly Muslim state volition sojourn a Halal nutrient exhibition. 

"We person a batch of producers who are producing Halal food, truthful we are going to spot however we tin grow that and unfastened up opportunities." 

The method briefing heard that Japan, with a colonisation of 123 million, ranks 3rd among B.C.'s trading partners, accounting for 10.4 per cent of exports, portion South Korea with a colonisation of 52 cardinal ranks fourth, accounting for astir 6.6 per cent. 

Malaysia, with a colonisation of 34 million, ranks 16th. 

The circuit is not including mainland China due to the fact that it has imposed tariffs connected Canadian food, including B.C. shellfish.

Popham's beingness points to 1 of the circumstantial goals of the commercialized ngo — raising the illustration of B.C. nutrient products. 

She said the delegation volition sojourn a ample food marketplace successful Osaka, Japan's second-largest city. Other stops volition see nutrient retailers successful Japan and South Korea, Popham added. 

Popham said present is simply a "critical time" for B.C. to find customers for its cultivation products. 

"The countries that we are going to are funny in B.C.," she said. "So I don't deliberation determination is simply a bounds connected however overmuch we tin grow that [Asian] market. I'm hoping to grow it a lot."