MALAYSIA’S July trade statistics, while highlighting a 6.8% year-on-year rise in exports to RM140.45bil, belie underlying currents that suggest more challenging times are ahead for both exports and the broader economy.
Even though the performance exceeds Bloomberg’s consensus for a median contraction of 3.2% after shrinking 3.5% in June and 1.2% in May, when imports are taken into account, it points to a bumpy road for the rest of the year.
