Latest Release: November 2019

Malaysia External Trade Statistics

KEY FACTS 

Malaysia’s exports in November 2019, decreased 5.5% to RM80.8 billion year-on-year (y-o-y). Re-exports was valued at RM13.0 billion registering a decline of 18.4% y-o-y and accounted for 16.1% of total exports. Domestic exports also recorded a decrease of 2.6% or RM1.8 billion to RM67.8 billion. 

Imports also slipped 3.6% y-o-y to RM74.3 billion. 

On a month-on-month (m-o-m) basis, exports declined 10.8% from RM90.6 billion. In seasonally adjusted terms, exports also decreased 11.2%. 

On a m-o-m basis, imports increased 1.4% or RM993.1 million from RM73.3 billion. In seasonally adjusted terms, imports increased 4.8%. 

On a y-o-y basis, exports fell due to the decrease in exports to Singapore (-RM1.6 billion), Hong Kong (-RM1.3 billion),Japan (RM959.4 million), Thailand (-RM699.1 million) and Republic of Korea (-RM633.5 million). However, exports increased to China (+RM495.6 million) and the United States (+RM479.1 million). 

On a y-o-y basis, lower imports were mainly from the European Union (-RM1.1 billion), Saudi Arabia (-RM1.0 billion), Singapore(RM834.6 million), Taiwan (-RM602.3 million), Thailand (-RM587.6 million) and Indonesia (-RM586.8 million). Meanwhile, higher imports were from China (+RM1.7 billion) and United Arab Emirates (+RM1.1 billion).

TRADE

Total trade amounted at RM155.1 billion, a contraction of 4.6% or RM7.5 billion in November 2019. It also posted a decline of RM8.8 billion (-5.4%) when compared to October 2019. The trade surplus which was valued at RM6.5 billion, shrank RM2.0 billion (-23.1%) from a year ago. 

It also registered a decrease of RM10.8 billion or 62.3% as compared to the previous monthTotal trade amounted at RM155.1 billion, a contraction of 4.6% or RM7.5 billion in November 2019. It also posted a decline of RM8.8 billion (-5.4%) when compared to October 2019. 

The trade surplus which was valued at RM6.5 billion, shrank RM2.0 billion (-23.1%) from a year ago. It also registered a decrease of RM10.8 billion or 62.3% as compared to the previous month. 

External Trade Indices 

Exports 

On a month-on-month basis, in November 2019, the export unit value index recorded a drop of 0.5% to 115.5 points which was mainly attributed to the decrease in the index of mineral fuels (-2.6%), inedible crude materials (-0.8%) and machinery & transport equipment (-0.3%). Meanwhile, the export volume index recorded a decline of 10.3% to 131.4 points. The decline was led by the decrease in the index of machinery & transport equipment (-22.9%), inedible crude materials (-12.9%) and animal & vegetable oils & fats (-5.0%). In seasonally adjusted terms, the export volume index fell 9.9% to 126.9 points. 

When compared to the previous year, both export unit value and volume indices declined 0.6% and 5.0% respectively. 

Imports 

In November 2019, the import unit value index declined marginally by 0.1% to 117.2 points as compared to the previous month, which was due to the drop in the index of inedible crude materials (-0.4%) followed by machinery & transport equipment (-0.2%) and chemicals (-0.2%). In contrast, the import volume index increased 1.4% to 144.0 points. The increase was mainly contributed by the growth in the index of mineral fuels (+12.3%), miscellaneous manufactured articles (+9.6%) and chemicals (+3.9%). In seasonally adjusted terms, the import volume index in November 2019 registered a growth of 2.8% to 140.7 points. 

On a year-on-year basis, both import unit value and volume indices shrank 2.3% and 1.4% respectively. 

Terms of trade 

Malaysia’s terms of trade fell 0.5% to 98.6 points when compared with October 2019. On a year-on-year basis, Malaysia’s terms of trade registered a rise of 1.8% from 96.9 points.