KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Northport is set to boost its connections in China after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the China unit of fellow Malaysian conglomerate Sime Darby’s Weifang Sime Darby Port to develop a sister port relationship, local media reported.
The agreement will see both ports cooperate in port management and help in bilateral halal trade shipments.
Weifang and Northport will share experience, capabilities and resources in the fields of port management and related activities and will also carry out joint commercial and promotional activities.
Sime Darby president and group ceo Mohd Bakke Salleh, said the partnership has great potential to capture a slice of the fast growing halal market.
“Halal is big business and this partnership aims to capture a market that is growing by 10% annually.
“Weifang Port is strategically located in the prime region of the Bohai Sea economic belt, offering a major access into China’s hinterland,” he said.
Weifang Port’s close proximity to the One Belt One Road network provides an added advantage to a proposed “halal corridor” linking the Muslim regions in China, namely Henan, Ningxia, Gansu and Xinjiang, where the Muslim population is estimated to be more than 30m people.
The port could also be a gateway and a future halal hub for the Korean and Japanese markets, he added.
“Northport’s strategic location on the Straits of Malacca, surrounded by major commercial and industrial areas has made the port Malaysia’s preferred gateway for local shippers,” said Northport chairman Khalib Mohamad Noh, adding that Northport is well-suited to be the main gateway to provide integrated logistics services for halal entrepreneurs wishing to market their products to China.
