EXIM Bank Strengthens Malaysia’s Global Trade With RM87.80 Mln Financing For Pertama Ferroalloys

KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 (Bernama) -- Export-Import Bank of Malaysia Bhd (EXIM Bank) has strengthened Malaysia’s global trade with the signing of a US$20 million (RM87.80 million) supplier financing facility agreement with Pertama Ferroalloys Sdn Bhd to support the expansion of the company’s production capacity in Bintulu, Sarawak.

In a statement, EXIM Bank said the strategic partnership highlighted its ongoing commitment to boosting Malaysia’s trade competitiveness on the global stage.

The financing facility is expected to help Pertama Ferroalloys scale its operations internationally while reinforcing local supply chain integration and driving economic value creation.

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Located in Sarawak, Pertama Ferroalloys operates Malaysia’s first large-scale manganese alloys and ferrosilicon plant.

“This initiative complements EXIM Bank’s sustainability agenda, which includes a target of RM1.5 billion in sustainability financing by 2027 through its sustainability-linked products and services,” the bank said in a statement.

The signing ceremony took place at the Malaysia Pavilion, World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, with EXIM Bank Malaysia president and chief executive officer Nurbayu Kasim Chang and Pertama Ferroalloys chairman Hirotaka Suzuki.

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The event was witnessed by the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI) secretary-general Datuk Hairil Yahri Yaacob and Pertama Ferroalloys board director and general manager Yuki Nakamura.

Nurbayu said Pertama Ferroalloys’ presence in Malaysia has generated strong backward linkages, stimulating demand for local raw materials, services, and infrastructure in supporting the global supply chain for ferroalloys, an essential material in steel production used across the construction, automotive, energy, and infrastructure sectors.

“The company also fosters local empowerment, with 87 per cent of its workforce comprising Malaysian employees,” she said.

Meanwhile, Yuki said, “This collaboration will serve as a powerful testament to what can be achieved when vision aligns with decisive action, echoing the spirit of the post-Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.”

Beyond industrial output, Pertama Ferroalloys continues to make a meaningful impact through its 300-hectare bamboo plantation project launched in November 2023.

The bamboo plantation project actively involves local communities and supports Sarawak’s green development goals under PCDS 2030. It is designed to support carbon sequestration and the production of bamboo charcoal.

In 2024, EXIM Bank facilitated 144 Malaysian exporters, amounting to a total financial support of RM3.1 billion through credit takaful and business financing, enabling them to venture into new markets.

To date, 67 exporters have been supported specifically through credit takaful, with exposure in 48 countries, primarily in Asia.

-- BERNAMA