FX.co ★ Malaysia Trade Surplus Hits Record High

Malaysia’s trade surplus surged to MYR 40.4 billion in April 2026, up sharply from MYR 0.8 billion in the same month a year earlier and well above market expectations of MYR 23.2 billion. This marked the largest trade surplus on record, underpinned by exports expanding far more rapidly than imports.

Exports climbed 45.3% year-on-year to an all-time high of MYR 184 billion, driven primarily by the manufacturing sector, which grew 51.7%. Within manufacturing, electrical and electronic products rose 70.5%, while petroleum products increased 74.2%.

Imports grew 14.1% year-on-year to MYR 143.6 billion, supported by higher purchases of intermediate goods, which were up 14.4%. By source country, import growth was strongest from Singapore (43.9%), followed by China (38.7%) and Taiwan (31.4%), whereas imports from the United States fell 32.0%.

Over the first five months of the year, Malaysia’s cumulative trade surplus reached MYR 132.8 billion, with exports up 24.3% and imports rising 14.6% compared with the same period a year earlier.