Kuala lumpur: Malaysia's total trade in 2025 reached its highest value on record, surpassing the RM3 trillion mark at RM3.06 trillion, marking a 6.3 per cent year-on-year increase, with exports exceeding imports to generate a RM151.80 billion trade surplus.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) reported that the country's exports exceeded RM1 trillion for the fifth consecutive year, rising 6.5 per cent to a record RM1.60 trillion, while imports grew 6.2 per cent to RM1.45 trillion.
It was noted that Malaysia recorded its highest-ever trade, export, and import values, highlighting the nation's resilience and competitiveness amid an increasingly uncertain global trade environment.
MATRADE emphasized that the export growth is driven by record-high shipments to traditional trading partners, such as ASEAN, the United States, Taiwan, and the European Union, reflecting Malaysia's strong integration into high-value, technology-driven global supply chains. Exports to China expanded at a more moderate pace.
The corporation highlighted that Malaysia's extensive network of free trade agreements (FTAs), including significant regional frameworks like the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), continued to facilitate market access, diversify export destinations, and mitigate trade risks.
By leveraging these agreements, exports maintained an upward trend, with Hong Kong, Mexico, and Canada recording new highs, supported by broad-based growth across a wide range of products.
MATRADE remarked that this performance was achieved despite rising global uncertainties, including geopolitical tensions, supply chain realignments, and increasing risks of protectionism.
Moreover, December 2025 emerged as the highest monthly trade for exports and imports, with imports expanding by 12.0 per cent to RM133.68 billion compared to the corresponding month last year. The import of intermediate goods grew by 3.6 per cent to RM63.16 billion, while imports of capital goods fell by 11.8 per cent to RM15.31 billion, and imports of consumption goods rose by 27.6 per cent to RM13.10 billion.
On a quarterly basis, trade in the fourth quarter (4Q) of 2025 rose 11.7 per cent to RM826.65 billion compared to the previous corresponding quarter. Exports increased by 11.0 per cent to RM436.22 billion, and imports rose 12.6 per cent to RM390.44 billion.
Regarding the outlook for 2026, MATRADE projected that Malaysia's trade is expected to expand at a moderate pace, consistent with the global trade outlook published by the World Trade Organisation, which projects world merchandise trade volume to grow by 0.5 per cent. The outlook remains subject to downside risks arising from trade-restrictive measures, geopolitical tensions, policy uncertainty, and weaker global demand conditions.