Malaysia. Soybeans Annual. Mar 2015 April 12, 2015

Oilseeds, Soybean PSD

There is no commercial cultivation of soybeans in Malaysia.

Imports

Soybean imports are projected to increase to 600,000 tons in 2014/15, in line with the projected slight increase in demand for swine and poultry feed, and also a slight increase in soy for direct human consumption. Both the swine and poultry sectors are growing only modestly, following population growth. The U.S is the top soybean supplier. Paraguay, Canada and Brazil are the other major suppliers.

Consumption

Soybean crushing activity is forecast to grow slightly from 370,000 tons in 2013/14 to 405,000 tons in 2014/15, reflecting growth in demand from the poultry sector. Similarly, in 2015/16, crush is forecast to increase again to 410,000 tons. Around 25 percent of soybean imports are for human consumption. Most of the soy imported for direct human consumption is identity preserved beans from Canada. The introduction of a 6 percent Goods and Services Tax in April 2015 may negatively affect consumption in the short term as consumers need to adjust spending patterns, and agents along the supply chain learn how the tax is assessed.

Trade Policy & Market Access

A labeling requirement for GE content went into effect in July 2014, but it is not being enforced. Under the labeling requirement, products that contain less than 3 percent GE content, highly refined processed foods, and meat from animals fed with GE grains are exempt from the GE labeling requirement.

Beginning in 2015, the Department of Agriculture and the Agriculture and Quarantine Inspection service began to require that soybean importers obtain an import permit, and that a phytosanitary certificate accompany all consignments. These new requirements did not cause any disruption in U.S. soybean imports.

Soybean imports