KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's total trade expanded 29.8% year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM327.63bil in May 2026, marking the fastest growth in 44 months as exports and trade surplus reached new monthly record highs.
In a statement, the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) said exports rose 45.3% to an all-time high of RM184bil, surpassing the previous record set in April 2026 and registering the fastest export growth since August 2022.
Imports increased 14.1% to RM143.62bil.
“Trade surplus widened to a record monthly high of RM40.38bil, reflecting export growth outpacing imports significantly, marking the 73rd consecutive month of surplus since May 2020,” MITI said.
The ministry said export growth was primarily driven by manufactured and mining products, both of which posted double-digit expansion.
Electrical and electronic (E&E) products remained the key contributor, increasing by RM38bil to a new record high, supported by strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI)-related and automotive technologies.
Higher exports of petroleum products, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and optical and scientific equipment also contributed to the overall performance.
“Malaysia’s export performance remained broad-based, with all major trading partners, namely Asean, China, US, Taiwan and the European Union (EU), recording strong double-digit growth,” MITI said.
Exports to Taiwan and the EU reached new record highs during the month.
MITI said Malaysia's network of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) continued to support market expansion, contributing to higher exports to Mexico, the United Kingdom, Canada and Pakistan across various product categories.
For the January-May 2026 period, total trade rose 18.3% per cent to RM1.455 trillion compared with the same period a year earlier.
Exports increased 24.3% to RM793.84bil, while imports grew 11.8% to RM661.07bil, resulting in a trade surplus of RM132.77bil.
MITI noted that trade, exports, imports and trade surplus all reached historic highs for the January-May period.
"Amid heightened global uncertainties in international trade, Malaysia's trade performance remained resilient, with E&E products continuing to be the primary driver of growth," it said.
“In the period ahead, MITI and Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) will continue to assess global trade developments and strengthen proactive measures to preserve Malaysia’s trade resilience and support sustained growth momentum.”
