Malaysia Trade Trends Sep 2026

According to data from Malaysia’s Department of Statistics, the country’s trade surplus widened to USD 7.8 billion in September 2026, up from USD 4.7 billion in the same month a year earlier, marking the largest surplus since May. Total exports surged by 54.5 per cent year-on-year to a record USD 49.7 billion, while imports increased by 52.7 per cent to an all-time high of USD 41.9 billion.

Exports were primarily supported by manufactured goods, which rose by 50.4 per cent and accounted for 58.6 per cent of total exports. Electrical and electronic (E&E) products were a particularly important contributor. By destination, exports recorded significant growth to the United States, with an increase of 89.9 per cent, Singapore with 50.4 per cent, China with 22.1 per cent and the European Union with 35.3 per cent.

Imports were driven by higher purchases of intermediate goods, which increased by 69.6 per cent year-on-year, followed by capital goods, up 20.9 per cent, and consumption goods, up 18.2 per cent. By country of origin, imports from China rose by 67.6 per cent, while purchases from Singapore surged by 90.7 per cent.

For the first nine months of 2026, Malaysia’s trade surplus increased by 115.7 per cent year-on-year to USD 54.1 billion. Exports grew by 34 per cent, while imports rose by 25.7 per cent compared with the same period of the previous year.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional political and economic bloc, has a population of approximately 667 million and a territory of around 4.5 million km². It 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 approximately USD 4.2 trillion, according to estimates for 2025.