Overview
Malaysia's trade performance sustained a positive trend in May 2026, consistent with the double digit rise in export (+45.3%) and imports (+14.1%), year-on-year (y-o-y). Total trade increased by RM75.2 billion or 29.8 per cent, reached RM327.6 billion.
Furthermore, trade balance rose by 5,214.0 per cent or RM39.6 billion from RM759.9 million to RM40.4 billion as compared to the same period in the previous year.
The monthly comparison shows that exports and trade surplus increased by 0.4 per cent, and 38.2 per cent, respectively. However imports and total trade declined by 6.8 per cent, and 2.9 per cent, respectively.
Total trade, exports, imports and trade surplus all showed positive trend from January to May 2026, compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. Total trade climbed by 18.3 per cent to RM1.5 trillion, driven by increases in exports (+24.3%) and imports (+11.8%). In addition, trade surplus up by 182.9 per cent to RM132.8 billion.
Performance of Exports
Malaysia’s exports surged by 45.3 per cent y-o-y to RM184.0 billion in May 2026, recording the highest monthly record to date.
The encouraging export growth was mainly contributed by the increase in domestic exports and re-exports. Domestic exports valued at RM143.1 billion (77.8% of total exports), uplift by 42.0 per cent or RM42.3 billion.
Re-exports (22.2% of total exports) expanded 58.4 per cent or RM15.1 billion from RM25.8 billion to RM40.9 billion.
Alongside this, monthly comparison showed exports increased marginally by 0.4 per cent or RM733.3 million from RM183.3 billion to RM184.0 billion. Based on month-on-month seasonally adjusted terms analysis, exports also rose marginally 0.8 per cent to RM189.5 billion.
Performance of Imports
Imports recorded double-digit growth of 14.1 per cent or RM17.8 billion, rising from RM125.9 billion to RM143.6 billion in May 2026. On a m-o-m basis, imports downed by 6.8 per cent or RM10.4 billion.
According to the m-o-m seasonally adjusted terms analysis, imports decline 11.7 per cent to RM139.4 billion.
Imports by End Use increased, y-o-y, with an increase in intermediate goods (+14.4%), whereas capital goods and consumption goods decreased 18.3 per cent and 2.7 per cent, respectively.
