MALAYSIA EXTERNAL TRADE STATISTICS PRELIMINARY RELEASE
The Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI) announced that Malaysia’s exports in December 2009 expanded by 9.2% to RM54.67 billion from the preceding month. This was the highest monthly exports for 2009. Imports increased by 3.4% to RM42.58 billion. As a result, a trade surplus of RM12.1 billion was recorded in December 2009, making it the 146th consecutive month of trade surplus since November 1997. Total trade grew by 6.6% from November 2009 to RM97.25 billion.
On a year-on-year basis, exports expanded by 18.7% while imports rose by 23.3%. Consequently, total trade registered an increase of 20.7% compared with a year ago.
Total trade in the fourth quarter of 2009 was RM285.54 billion, an increase of 9.4% compared with the third quarter of 2009. Exports expanded by 10.6% to RM159 billion, while imports grew by 8% to RM126.55 billion.
Compared with the fourth quarter of 2008, exports and imports in the fourth quarter of 2009 were higher by 5.1% and 6.7% respectively. Total trade in the fourth quarter of 2009 increased by 5.8% compared with the same quarter last year.
