KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s total trade with BRICS member countries reached RM846.5 billion in 2025, up 3.4 per cent from RM818.04 billion in 2024, and accounted for 27.7 per cent of the country’s total global trade.
Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni said that from January to June 2026, Malaysia’s trade with BRICS member countries rose 20.0 per cent to RM481.02 billion, compared with RM400.73 billion for the same period in 2025.
"Export value increased by 17.4 per cent to RM181.40 billion from RM154.57 billion in the previous year.
"Meanwhile, the value of imports also increased by 21.7 per cent to RM299.62 billion, compared to RM246.15 billion for the same period in 2025,” he said during today’s question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat.
Lukanisman was responding to Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee (PN-Beluran) on the objectives of Malaysia’s participation as a BRICS Partner Country, the added value compared to existing bilateral cooperation and trade agreements with its member countries, as well as the markets and sectors prioritised to expand Malaysia’s trade through the BRICS framework.
He said China, Indonesia, and India remain Malaysia’s largest BRICS trading partners, contributing about 90 per cent of total trade.
"Through the BRICS framework, Malaysia prioritises market expansion and strategic sectors aligned with the aspirations of the MADANI Economy, including the New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP 2030) and the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR).
"This step focuses on efforts to increase the export of Electrical & Electronics (E&E) goods, semiconductors, and palm oil, while attracting investments in new technologies such as green technology and cybersecurity to strengthen the local innovation ecosystem,” he said.
In addition, Lukanisman said focus is also given to strengthening the resilience of food and energy supply chains through collaboration in the agricultural sector and renewable energy transition projects.
"This effort is coupled with steps to expand the market for value-added service sectors such as tourism, education, healthcare, and promoting Malaysia’s expertise in Islamic finance to BRICS countries,” he said.
The deputy minister said Malaysia’s participation as a BRICS Partner Country is based on a foreign policy that is neutral, pragmatic, and principled.
He said that Malaysia’s participation as a BRICS Partner Country is to diversify economic strategic partners and reduce dependence solely on traditional markets; to advocate for the Global South agenda to ensure that the voices of developing countries are more accepted in international economic and financial governance; and to support the reform of multilateral institutions to be more equitable, inclusive, and reflective of the current geopolitical reality.
Lukanisman said cooperation through the BRICS framework adds significant value and complements existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms and Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).
"BRICS, among other things, expands the diversity of export destinations and becomes an important platform for penetrating markets that do not yet have an FTA with Malaysia, such as Brazil, Russia, South Africa, Ethiopia, Iran, and Egypt.
"This is in addition to promoting the use of local currencies (such as the strengthening of the ringgit-renminbi) and more efficient cross-border payment systems, thereby reducing transaction costs and the risk of fluctuations in intermediary foreign exchange rates (such as with the US dollar).
"Additionally, providing a platform to consolidate key markets to address practical trade issues simultaneously, including trade facilitation, logistics connectivity, trade digitalisation, and supply chain resilience; as well as creating opportunities for attracting high-quality investments and technology transfers in strategic sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital infrastructure,” he added. - Bernama
