Malaysia’s total trade grew 15.3% year-on-year to RM1.127 trillion for the January to April 2026 period, supported by strong demand for high-growth, high-value (HGHV) products and an ongoing strategy of market diversification.
In a statement, the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) said exports rose 19% to RM609.31 billion, while imports increased 11.1% to RM517.4 billion, marking record-high values for the four-month period.
This led to a trade surplus of RM91.92 billion, a sharp 99.1% increase that nearly doubled last year’s performance, reflecting Malaysia’s strong external sector resilience amid geopolitical uncertainties in West Asia.
Export growth during the period was driven mainly by electrical and electronic (E&E) products, which jumped RM71 billion or 32.1%, supported by a global semiconductor boom fuelled by artificial intelligence adoption, cloud computing, and data centre expansion.
Pharmaceutical and automotive products also contributed to the HGHV segment, recording double-digit growth of 21.9% and 10.3% respectively.
April alone delivered strong performance, with exports rising 36.9% to RM182.74 billion, while the monthly trade surplus surged 460.5% to RM28.75 billion, both the highest levels ever recorded.
Matrade said export growth to major markets included the United States (32.5%), Taiwan (68.9%), Hong Kong (43%), China (18.7%), the European Union (23.9%), and ASEAN (8.6%), largely driven by E&E shipments.
The agency also highlighted Malaysia’s expanding trade diversification into new high-growth markets beyond traditional partners.
Emerging economies recorded significant increases, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (196.6%), Sudan (223.1%), Zimbabwe (220.5%), Bulgaria (141.6%), Haiti (103.5%), Ethiopia (88.1%), and Uzbekistan (29.7%).
Matrade said this reflects a structured expansion of Malaysia’s trade footprint into underserved and high-growth regions across Africa and Eastern Europe.
