Trade Performance : September 2019 and January - September 2019
January-September 2019 Trade Surplus Highest in the Decade
Malaysia’s trade surplus in January to September 2019 was valued at RM100.86 billion, expanded by 15.3% compared to RM87.47 billion registered for the same period of 2018. This was the largest January-September trade surplus recorded in the last 10 years.
In tandem with subdued external demand and global challenges, total trade in the first nine months of 2019 decreased by 2.2% to RM1.356 trillion. Lower trade was recorded with Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, France and Japan. Higher trade however was registered with the United States (US), Saudi Arabia and the Philippines. Exports during the period registered a decrease of 1.1% to RM728.52 billion while imports contracted by 3.3% to RM627.66 billion.
Total trade in September 2019 stood at RM147.07 billion, decreased by 2.7% year-on-year (y-o-y). Lower trade was recorded with Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, Taiwan, Australia, Thailand and the Netherlands. However, higher trade was registered with China, India, the Republic of Korea (ROK), the US and Saudi Arabia. Exports decreased by 6.8% to RM77.7 billion. Imports amounted to RM69.37 billion, an increase of 2.4% from September 2018.
Trade surplus in September 2019 was valued at RM8.34 billion, declined by 46.5% compared to September 2018. This marked the 263rd consecutive months of trade surplus since November 1997.
On a month-on-month (m-o-m) basis, total trade, exports, imports and trade surplus registered a decline of 3.1%, 4.5%, 1.6% and 23.5%, respectively.
Total trade in the third quarter (Q3) of 2019 contracted by 3.7% to RM460.53 billion compared to Q3 2018. Total exports reached RM247.02 billion, 1.9% lower from the same period last year while imports contracted by 5.8% to RM213.51 billion. Trade surplus in Q3 2019 recorded a double-digit increase of 33.3% to RM33.51 billion from RM25.14 billion registered in Q3 2018.
Compared with the second quarter (Q2) of 2019, total trade, exports and trade surplus increased by 0.01%, 0.6% and 10.2% respectively, while imports slipped by 0.7%.
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Trade Performance : September 2019 and January - September 2019
