Kuala lumpur: Malaysia's trade performance continued to strengthen in June 2026, growing by 44.7 per cent to RM340.9 billion from RM235.6 billion a year earlier on sustained growth in both exports and imports. The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said in a statement that Malaysia's exports expanded 45.4 per cent to RM177.9 billion and imports rose 43.9 per cent to RM163.0 billion, with the trade surplus surging by 64.9 per cent to RM14.9 billion in the month reviewed.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Chief statistician Siti Asiah Ahmad highlighted the increase in Malaysia's exports in June 2026, supported by growth in both re-exports and domestic exports. Re-exports, which accounted for 22.1 per cent of total exports, rose by 48.7 per cent year-on-year to RM39.3 billion, while domestic exports, which constituted 77.9 per cent of total exports, expanded by 44.6 per cent to RM138.6 billion. Correspondingly, imports increased by 43.9 per cent to RM163.0 billion. The trade surplus marked the 74th consecutive month of surplus since May 2020.

Siti Asiah noted that from the perspective of commodity groups, 162 out of 258 export groups and 193 out of 258 import groups posted gains compared to the same month of the previous year. The rise in exports was primarily underpinned by increased shipments to several countries, including the United States, Singapore, China, Taiwan, the European Union, Japan, and Thailand. Similarly, the import rise was largely driven by higher inflows from China, followed by Singapore, Korea, the United States, Taiwan, India, and the European Union.

Exports growth was anchored by heightened shipments of electrical and electronic products, other manufactures, petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, optical and scientific equipment, and the manufacture of metal. Concurrently, imports corresponded with stronger inflows of electrical and electronic products, petroleum products, other manufacturing, machinery, equipment and parts, manufacture of metal, and transport equipment.

For the performance in the second quarter of 2026, total trade, exports, imports, and the trade surplus increased compared to the same period last year. The encouraging economic performance led to a 34.1 per cent rise in total trade, aligning with the increase in exports (42.4 per cent) and imports (25.4 per cent), while the trade surplus amounted to RM84.0 billion, an increase of 449.2 per cent as compared to the same period in 2025.