Malaysia

Malaysian exports reported a higher-than-expected growth in April from the previous year's figures, while imports fell during the same month, according to the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority.

The MIDA reported early this month that exports rose 5.7 percent during the first month of the 2nd quarter, creating a trade surplus of about 1.52 billion dollars, up from 539 million dollars in april last year.

The MIDA statement also said exports for April amounted to about 8.08 billion dollars, declining four percent due to weaker demand for crude petroleum, liquefied natural gas, refined petroleum products, and electrical and electronic products.

Electrical and electronics goods, which comprised 51 percent of total exports in March, slipped 2.3 percent, while sales of semiconductors remained stable on a month-on-month basis. Sales for April were reported to have been put on hold due to the protracted economic slowdown and the recent outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.

Exports to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which accounted for 27 percent of total exports in April, climbed 2.9 percent to around 2.18 billion dollars. But goods sold to the US, European Union countries, Japan, Hong Kong, China, and West Asia all slumped from March.

The MIDA said total imports for April slipped 7.6 percent year-on-year and 2.8 percent month-on-month to around 6.5 billion dollars.

China and South Korea were the only two major markets that registered higher imports. Imports from ASEAN, Japan, the US, Taiwan, and Germany all registered lower purchases of Malaysian products.

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