Narrower trade surplus likely this year

Maybank Investment Bank Research projected a trade surplus of RM240bil for 2023, a decline from the RM255.5bil registered in 2022.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is expected to register narrower trade surplus this year amid the anticipated slowdown in export and import growth in the months ahead.

That is the view shared by most economists who cited the downward risks posed by the US and European economies. They believed the banking crisis in these developed economies could outweigh the positive impact of China’s reopening of its economy.