PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s trade started 2025 on a strong note, supported by higher exports and imports, according to the Department of Statistics.
Total trade in January 2025 increased by 3.1% year-on-year to RM241.9 billion, attributable to growth in exports of RM122.8 billion (+0.3%) and imports of RM119.2 billion (+6.2%). However, the trade balance fell by 64.3% to RM3.6 billion, the 57th consecutive month of surplus since May 2020.
Chief Statistician Malaysia, Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said Malaysia’s exports increased in line with the rise in domestic exports in January. Domestic exports (79.4% of total exports), grew by 2.9% to RM97.5 billion.
Meanwhile, re-exports (20.6% of total exports) worth RM25.3 billion were down by 8.7% compared to January 2024.
Compared with December 2024, exports, imports, total trade and trade balance recorded contractions of 11.3%, 0.2%, 6.2% and 81%, respectively.
From the perspective of commodity segments, 123 out of 259 export groups and 116 out of 259 import groups showed increases compared to the same month of the previous year.
Mohd Uzir said higher exports were attributable mainly to the United States (+RM3.8 billion), followed by Singapore (+RM3.4 billion), Taiwan (+RM1.2 billion), Hong Kong (+RM810.4 million), Kenya (+RM388.5 million), Canada (+RM346.6 million) and Brunei(+RM186.4 million).
Moreover, higher imports were mainly contributed by Taiwan (+RM7.2 billion), followed by the United States (+RM2.6 billion), China (+RM2.4 billion), South Korea (+RM993.9 million), Iraq (+RM488.5 million), Ecuador (+RM348 million) and Mexico (+RM332 million).
He said the increase in exports was in line with the rise in electrical & electronic products (+RM6.5 billion), other manufactures (+RM665 million), palm oil & palm-based agriculture products (+RM537.8 million), machinery, equipment & parts (+RM429.5 million), palm oil-based manufactured products (+RM409.2 million), and other agriculture products (+RM317.3 million).
The increase in imports was mainly due to electrical & electronic products (+RM13.4 billion), machinery, equipment & parts (+RM808.3 million), other agriculture products (+RM636.7 million), palm oil and palm-based agriculture products (+RM421.3 million), palm oil-based manufactured products (+RM367.2 million), and other vegetables oils (+RM320.9 million).
Mohd Uzir said the surge in imports by end use was in accordance with higher demand for capital goods and intermediate goods. Imports of capital goods (16.8% of total imports), grew by 45.9% or RM6.3 billion to RM20 billion. Imports of intermediate goods (51% of total imports), valued at RM60.7 billion, registered an increase of 3.3% or RM1.9 billion compared to January 2024.
Meanwhile, consumption goods (8.4% of total imports), declined by 2.6% or RM272.6 million to RM10.1 billion.
