Malaysia’s trade performance strengthened further in July 2026, with trade, exports and imports reaching record monthly highs as broad-based demand for the country’s goods continued to underpin the external sector.
The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) said total trade expanded 37.3% year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM364.74 billion, while exports jumped 38% to RM193.60 billion and imports rose 36.4% to RM171.14 billion.
The country recorded a RM22.46 billion trade surplus, extending Malaysia’s consecutive monthly trade surplus streak to 75 months since May 2020.
The strong July performance was supported by gains across all three major export categories — manufactured, agriculture and mining goods — highlighting the increasingly diversified structure of Malaysia’s exports.
Electrical and electronic (E&E) products remained the key growth driver, with monthly exports reaching a record high. E&E exports increased by RM32 billion from July 2025, driven by robust global demand for semiconductors and other high-value electronic products.
Exports of metalliferous ores and metal scrap, as well as palm oil and palm oil-based agriculture products, also recorded stronger growth, providing additional support to overall export performance.
Malaysia’s export growth was broad-based geographically, with shipments to ASEAN, China, the United States, Taiwan and the European Union registering double-digit growth in July.
The highest monthly export values were recorded for ASEAN, China and Taiwan, reflecting continued strength across several of Malaysia’s major trading partners.
Exports to Malaysia’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partners also expanded across a wide range of products.
Higher shipments were recorded to markets including Mexico, Japan, the United Kingdom, Türkiye, Canada, Peru and Chile, underscoring the benefits of market diversification and deeper trade links.
Malaysia’s trade performance for the first seven months of 2026 also reached new records, supported by the strong July showing.
From January to July, total trade expanded 24.7% to RM2.16 trillion, surpassing the RM2 trillion mark two months earlier than in 2025.
Exports rose 29.2% to RM1.165 trillion, exceeding the RM1 trillion threshold one month earlier than last year, while imports increased 19.8% to RM994.71 billion.
The cumulative trade surplus more than doubled year-on-year to RM170.50 billion.
Trade, exports, imports and the trade surplus all recorded their highest-ever cumulative values for the January-July period.
Malaysia’s strong trade momentum has also supported overall economic growth, with the economy expanding 6% in the second quarter of 2026, supported by resilient domestic spending and solid export growth.
