KUALA LUMPUR:  Malaysia’s trade rose 28.6 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) to a record RM336.73 billion in April 2026, driven mainly by strong exports of electrical and electronic (E&E) products, according to the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI).

In a statement today, MITI said Malaysia’s trade maintained strong momentum in April 2026 despite heightened global uncertainties, including geopolitical tensions in West Asia that led to higher logistics costs, supply chain disruptions and commodity price volatility, with exports and imports reaching record highs.

MITI also said this resulted in a trade surplus of RM28.75 billion, marking the 72nd consecutive month of surplus since May 2020.

"The growth in exports was primarily driven by double-digit expansion in major export products, led by E&E products, which increased by RM28 billion to a record high on the back of strong demand from the artificial intelligence (AI) and automotive electronics segments.

"The expansion was further bolstered by remarkable increases in exports of petroleum products, manufactures of metal, optical and scientific equipment, as well as machinery, equipment and parts,” it said.

MITI added that exports of optical and scientific equipment, as well as machinery, equipment and parts, recorded their highest monthly values on record.

The ministry said exports to all major trading partners, namely ASEAN, China, the United States (US), Taiwan and the European Union (EU), recorded strong double-digit growth, with shipments to ASEAN, Taiwan and the EU reaching record highs.

"Malaysia’s extensive network of free trade agreements (FTAs) continued to facilitate market access and diversify export destinations.

"Leveraging these agreements, exports to FTA partners, such as Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, India and Turkiye, continued to expand, reaching record highs on sustained demand across a broad range of products,” MITI said.

For the January-April 2026 period, MITI said Malaysia’s trade surpassed the RM1 trillion mark within four months, earlier than in the previous year.

Trade during the period rose 15.3 per cent to RM1.127 trillion, with exports increasing 19 per cent to RM609.31 billion and imports growing 11.1 per cent to RM517.40 billion.

"Consequently, the trade surplus doubled from the previous year to RM91.92 billion. Trade, exports, imports and the trade surplus all recorded their highest levels for the period,” it said.

MITI said that despite these positive developments, the ministry and MATRADE would continue to closely monitor global trade developments and remain proactive in safeguarding Malaysia’s trade resilience to sustain its growth momentum. - Bernama