Malaysia emerges second largest importer of fries from Belgium in ASEAN

Frozen potato exports to Malaysia from Belgium have nearly doubled in the span of a decade. This has…

Frozen potato exports to Malaysia from Belgium have nearly doubled in the span of a decade. This has played the country as the second-largest importer of potato products from the European nation in the ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations).

According to Flanders Agricultural Marketing Board (VLAM) and Belgian potato association Belgapom, Malaysia initially imported 12,779 tonne of Belgian potato products in 2009. In 2018, this number rose to 24,724 tonne, nearly doubling the number of potatoes shipped in a 10-year period.

This year, the Asian country is on track to break a new record, with Belgian potato suppliers exporting almost 14,000 tonne of potatoes in the first six months of 2019.

The ASEAN region has become a large target market for Belgian potatoes over the last decade, with Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines proving to be growing markets for Belgian potato products.

The Philippines takes the number one spot as the top importer for Belgian potato products, with 30,468 tonne shipped to the archipelago in 2018. This was followed by Malaysia’s 24,724 tonne, Indonesia’s 15,548 tonne, Thailand’s 8,262 tonne and Vietnam’s 2,815 tonne.