TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The 10-day 2021 Mycybersale Asia shopping festival began on Friday (Oct. 1), offering products from new cross-border e-commerce businesses in Taiwan and Malaysia to consumers in both countries.
On Thursday (Sept. 30), the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) Department of Commerce (DOC) said in a press release that it invited representatives from the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation Taipei (Matrade Taipei), and the Taiwan’s General Chamber of Commerce to co-announce the event’s launch.
According to Director-General Su Wen-ling (蘇文玲), Mycybersale Asia is a collaborative effort by both Taiwan’s and Malaysia’s governments that is entering its third year. The number of participating Taiwan businesses has grown by 15% this year as compared to last year, totaling 80 businesses, while over 300 Malaysian businesses participated in the event, reported the DOC.
Kinmen County Government has subsidized 24 local businesses in order to promote the entire county as a whole, reported UDN. At a press conference, Kinmen County Magistrate Yang Cheng-wu (楊鎮浯) said the government’s goal is to help traditional industries boost their potential by joining the e-commerce system.
Consumers in Malaysia wishing to explore Kinmen’s specialty products are redirected from the Mycybersale Asia website to the “Kinmen Select” Shopee page, which features products from the 24 local businesses.
Per the DOC, the majority of products sold during the 2020 event were cosmetics, while this year there are more food vendors. One other major difference in 2021’s edition of the festival is the “free shipping” section, which aims to boost sale numbers for Taiwan products by attracting Malaysian consumers.
Mycybersale Asia is part of Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy, which seeks to promote exchanges between Taiwan and its Southeast Asian and South Asian neighbors. Radio Taiwan International (RTI) cited the event’s organizer Commerce Development Research Institute as saying that last year, the event yielded NT$13 million (US$430,000) in sales, and this year the goal is to boost the number up to NT$15 million.