Malaysia Trade Trends May 2025

According to data released by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, Malaysia’s international trade in the first five months of 2025 grew by 6.2 per cent. The country’s exports rose by 5.5 per cent, while imports expanded by 6.9 per cent during the period.

In May alone, Malaysia’s international trade grew by 2.6 per cent, with exports declining by 1.1 per cent and imports increasing by 6.6 per cent.

Manufacturing exports declined by 0.3 per cent on a yearly basis due to lower shipments of petroleum-related products, chemicals, and iron and steel. The decline was partly offset by strong exports of E&E products, machinery, and processed food.

Mining exports fell by 23.6 per cent year-on-year, weighed down by lower volumes and prices of LNG and crude petroleum, though partly supported by higher exports of petroleum condensates and other oils.

Agricultural exports rose by 8.3 per cent year-on-year, driven by increased volumes and prices of palm oil and related products.

Malaysia’s main trading partners were China, Singapore, and the United States.

In its latest outlook, the International Monetary Fund estimated Malaysia’s GDP growth rate to be 4.1 per cent in 2025.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a political and economic union of ten members with 667 million people and a territory of 4.5 million km², is currently the third-largest economy in Asia-Pacific and the fifth-largest in the world. The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) has a combined GDP of USD 4.2 trillion, according to estimates for 2024.