KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 4): The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) hopes that hosting the Selangor Export Day 2024 event will boost the state's trade and encourage more companies to be involved in the export business.

Its senior board member, Datuk Hazimah Zainuddin, said Selangor is an important state as it is the country's largest trade contributor.

She said Selangor contributed RM491.86 billion or 29.8% of Malaysia's total trade of RM1.65 trillion in 2023.

"In terms of exports, Selangor is the third largest contributor [of Malaysia’s exports] with RM332.79 billion or 23.3%," she said in a statement on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Matrade said that data from the Malaysia Exporters Database as at August 2024 revealed that Selangor-based small and medium enterprises totalled 6,927 or 50.3% of the 13,774 companies registered with Matrade.

"Selangor is also the largest contributor to the country's economy, contributing RM406.1 billion or 25.9% of the nation's gross domestic product [GDP] in 2023 compared with 25.5% in the preceding year," it said.

The Selangor Export Day 2024 was organised by Matrade in conjunction with the Selangor Economic Planning Unit and the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS).

The two-day event beginning Wednesday is taking place at the Shah Alam Convention Centre.

The event was organised to strengthen Selangor's status as Malaysia's largest export contributor, apart from being the most important manufacturing state.

The subsequent Export Day events will be in Ipoh, Perak and Kuala Lumpur in November 2024.

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