International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed said this was a good indicator of the outcome of Mihas as a whole.

“Mihas continues to gain momentum as the most successful halal showcase in the world and is getting bigger year-on-year.

“This an important achievement that we should be proud of,” he told a press conference here today, after a walkabout at Mihas 2018 organised by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation.

The sourcing programme matches business partners and was held on Tuesday, on the eve of the four-day Mihas expo.

Mustapa said 2,014 business matching sessions were organised during the day: 52% of the buyers were from China, followed by India (13%), Poland (12%), Thailand (4%) and the US (3.3%), he added.

Food and beverages made up 76.7% of sales. This included pre-packed and frozen products, confectioneries and snacks as well as beverages, he said.

Mustapa said Mihas, which is an important component of Malaysia’s Halal Week, had seen total exhibitors’ space grow by 69.8%, number of exhibitors go up by 44%, pre-registered visitors increase 49.6% and the number of buyers for INSP rise by 10.3%.

Mihas 2018 plays host to over 800 exhibitors and features halal products and services from over 35 countries. It expects to welcome 25,000 visitors.