Malaysia’s trade surplus jumped to MYR 21.37 billion in January 2026 from MYR 3.66 billion a year earlier, far surpassing market expectations of MYR 10.1 billion. Exports rose 19.6% year-on-year, beating market forecasts of 13.7% and accelerating sharply from a marginally revised 10.2% increase in the previous month. It also marked the strongest annual export growth since September 2022, boosted by firm external demand ahead of the Lunar New Year and Ramadan across key Asian markets. Meanwhile, imports grew at a slower pace of 5.3%, easing from a downwardly revised 9.5% gain in December and missing the 9.9% consensus. The softer import growth, which was the mildest since a contraction last August, reflected more subdued domestic demand at the start of the year. In 2025, trade surplus stood at MYR 159.54 billion, up from MYR 139.05 billion in the prior year. source: Department of Statistics, Malaysia

Malaysia recorded a trade surplus of 21400 MYR Million in January of 2026. Balance of Trade in Malaysia averaged 5001.52 MYR Million from 1970 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 31839.22 MYR Million in September of 2022 and a record low of -4464.53 MYR Million in April of 2020. This page provides the latest reported value for - Malaysia Balance of Trade - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. Malaysia Balance of Trade - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on March of 2026.

Malaysia recorded a trade surplus of 21400 MYR Million in January of 2026. Balance of Trade in Malaysia is expected to be 10000.00 MYR Million by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Malaysia Balance of Trade is projected to trend around 10000.00 MYR Million in 2027, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-01-20 04:00 AM
Balance of Trade
Dec MYR19.3B MYR6.1B MYR12.2B MYR5.0B
2026-02-20 04:00 AM
Balance of Trade
Jan MYR21.40B MYR22.06B MYR10.1B MYR4.1B
2026-03-19 04:00 AM
Balance of Trade
Feb MYR21.4B MYR25.0B


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Balance of Trade 21400.00 22066.00 MYR Million Jan 2026
Capital Flows 12324.00 -11411.00 MYR Million Dec 2025
Current Account 2047.00 12821.00 MYR Million Dec 2025
Current Account to GDP 1.40 1.10 percent of GDP Dec 2024
Exports 146870.00 152774.00 MYR Million Jan 2026
Exports YoY 19.60 10.20 percent Jan 2026
Foreign Direct Investment 27817.00 8468.55 MYR Million Dec 2025
Imports 125505.00 130708.00 MYR Million Jan 2026
Imports YoY 5.30 9.50 percent Jan 2026
Terms of Trade 124.50 123.60 points Jan 2026


Malaysia Balance of Trade
International trade plays a large role in Malaysian economy. Since 1998, Malaysia have been reporting consistent trade surpluses, mainly due to rise in exports of electrical and electronics products. In 2015, the biggest trade surpluses were recorded with Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and United States while the biggest trade deficits with China and Taiwan..
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
21400.00 22066.00 31839.22 -4464.53 1970 - 2026 MYR Million Monthly

News Stream
Malaysia Trade Surplus Tops Estimates
Malaysia’s trade surplus jumped to MYR 21.37 billion in January 2026 from MYR 3.66 billion a year earlier, far surpassing market expectations of MYR 10.1 billion. Exports rose 19.6% year-on-year, beating market forecasts of 13.7% and accelerating sharply from a marginally revised 10.2% increase in the previous month. It also marked the strongest annual export growth since September 2022, boosted by firm external demand ahead of the Lunar New Year and Ramadan across key Asian markets. Meanwhile, imports grew at a slower pace of 5.3%, easing from a downwardly revised 9.5% gain in December and missing the 9.9% consensus. The softer import growth, which was the mildest since a contraction last August, reflected more subdued domestic demand at the start of the year. In 2025, trade surplus stood at MYR 159.54 billion, up from MYR 139.05 billion in the prior year.
2026-02-20
Malaysia December Trade Surplus Hits Record Peak
Malaysia’s trade surplus widened slightly to a record high of MYR 19.27 billion in December 2025 from MYR 19.26 billion in December 2024, above expectations of MYR 12.2 billion. Exports rose 10.4% yoy to a record high of MYR 153.0 billion, accelerating from a 7.0% increase in November and exceeding forecasts of a 2.4% rise. The acceleration was mainly driven by manufactured goods, which rose 13.6%, led by strong shipments of electrical and electronic products, which surged 25.3%. Among trading partners, outbound shipments rose to the US (48.8%), Hong Kong (12.0%), Taiwan (34.4%), and the EU (34.8%). Meanwhile, imports surged 12.0% to an all-time high of MYR 133.7 billion, also above expectations for an 8.5% gain. The rise was boosted by higher imports of consumption goods (27.6%), dual- use goods (60.1%), and intermediate goods (3.6%). For the whole of 2025, Malaysia registered a trade surplus of MYR 132.6 billion, with exports and imports falling 3.7% and 3.6%, respectively.
2026-01-20
Malaysia Trade Surplus Smallest in 6 Months
Malaysia’s trade surplus narrowed to MYR 6.1 billion in November 2025, down from MYR 14.8 billion in the same month last year and far below expectations of MYR 17.2 billion, marking the smallest trade surplus since May. Exports rose 7% yoy to MYR 135.0 billion, slowing sharply from a 15.7% jump in October and falling below forecasts of 11.2%. This marked the softest export growth in three months, due to a decline in agricultural shipments. Growth was driven by higher sales in the manufacturing sector (7.9%) and mining (9.9%), with exports rising mainly to Singapore (4.1%), China (9.3%), and the EU (13.2%). Meanwhile, imports surged 15.8% to MYR 128.9 billion, surpassing forecasts of 11.4% gain and marking the fastest growth in seven months. The rise was boosted by higher imports of capital goods (56.8%) and intermediate goods (5.0%). For the first eleven months of 2025, Malaysia recorded a trade surplus of MYR 132.6 billion, with exports and imports rising 6.1% and 5.6%, respectively.
2025-12-19