PALMOILMAGAZINE, LONDON — On April 5, 2025, 8,000 tons of Malaysian palm oil from Sabah officially arrived at a storage facility in the Port of Liverpool, marking Malaysia’s first-ever export of palm oil to the United Kingdom under the zero-tariff arrangement of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Malaysia’s High Commissioner to the UK and Northern Ireland, Datuk Zakri Jaafar, hailed the milestone as a strategic step to strengthen bilateral trade relations between the two nations.
“Through CPTPP, both Malaysian and British companies now enjoy broader access to each other’s markets, opening up greater opportunities for bilateral trade growth,” Zakri stated during a dinner reception for Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, held at the Malaysian High Commission in London on Friday, April 25, 2025 (local time).
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The reception was attended by 80 guests, including students, representatives of government-linked companies, and High Commission staff. Also present were the Deputy Prime Minister’s wife, Datin Seri Ruziah Mohd Tahir, TNB Chief New Energy Officer Mohd Zarihi Mohd Hashim, Sarawak Energy Berhad CEO Datuk Sharbini Suhaili, and delegates from the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA).
As quoted by Palmoilmagazine.com from the Malay Mail (Monday, May 12, 2025), the UK officially became the first European country to join the CPTPP on December 15, 2024, while Malaysia has been a party to the agreement since November 29, 2022.
Zakri also highlighted renewable energy as a promising area for future collaboration. He noted that Malaysia’s involvement in clean energy projects in the UK could bring substantial long-term benefits, particularly in terms of technology transfer.
This cooperation is already taking shape with the launch of two large-scale solar farms operated by a TNB subsidiary in Eastfield and Bunkers Hill, which were inaugurated in January 2025. Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim officiated the opening during his official visit to the UK on January 17.
The Bunkers Hill solar farm in Rotherwick boasts a peak capacity of 66.7 MWp, while Eastfield in Harbury delivers 35 MWp, bringing the total capacity to 102 MWp. These projects underscore Malaysia’s growing ability to contribute to global sustainable energy solutions.
The UK currently ranks as Malaysia’s fourth-largest trading partner in Southeast Asia, with bilateral trade reaching RM15.30 billion in 2024. Malaysian investments in the UK were valued at £19 billion in the same year. (P2)
