20/05/2011 (Bernama) - Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok will make a four-day working visit to the United States from Sunday to promote palm oil and rubber.

The itinerary of the visit includes a joint Malaysia-Indonesia Ministerial mission to promote palm oil, the ministry said in a statement Friday.

The objectives of the visit are to dialogue with the US cabinet ministers, industry associations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on the sustainability of palm oil; to inform on measures undertaken by Malaysia and Indonesia on sustainable production of palm oil and to promote the image of palm oil among consumers and regulators in the US, it said.

Dompok will also hold a meeting with the US Food and Drugs Administration.

The joint Malaysia-Indonesia Ministerial mission covers a meeting with the US Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy and the United States Trade Representative and roundtable dialogue with the NGOs, industry leaders and government representatives.

He will also hold discussions with the US-Asean Business Council and visit the IOI Loders Croklaan Plant in Chicago.

The US is the fourth largest export destination for Malaysia�s palm oil, accounting for 6.4 per cent of global exports.

Last year, Malaysia exported palm oil and palm oil products worth RM4.39 billion, an increase of 40.7 per cent compared to RM3.12 billion in 2009.

Major palm oil products exported include palm oil, palm kernel oil, oleochemicals, finished products and biodiesel.

Other commodity-related products exported to the US are timber products valued at RM2.57 billion, rubber products at RM4.02 billion, cocoa products worth RM1.01 billion and pepper products valued at RM4.94 million.