FX.co ★ Malaysia Trade Surplus Smallest in 3 Months

In April 2025, Malaysia's trade surplus significantly dropped to MYR 5.2 billion, a decrease from MYR 7.7 billion recorded in April 2024, and fell short of market forecasts, which anticipated an increase to MYR 14.7 billion. This marked the smallest trade surplus since January. The decline was primarily because export growth lagged behind the rise in imports. Exports rose by 16.4% year-on-year, reaching MYR 133.6 billion, which marked the fastest growth rate in four months. This was a substantial acceleration from the 6.8% increase observed in March and surpassed predictions of a 7.8% rise. The primary contributors to this growth were the manufacturing sector, which surged by 19.0%, and agriculture, which saw an increase of 3.5%, though mining and quarrying recorded a decline of 1.3%. On the other hand, imports jumped by 20% to an all-time high of MYR 128.4 billion, significantly outpacing the expected 3.3% growth, largely driven by a 114.1% surge in capital goods. In contrast, both intermediate and consumption goods experienced declines of 1.7% and 0.7%, respectively.