DOSM Department of Statistics Malaysia : Monthly External Trade Statistics November 2016

KEY FACTS :

• On a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis, exports increased RM5.3 billion (+7.8%) to RM72.8 billion.
• On a y-o-y basis, imports rose RM6.4 billion (+11.2%) to RM63.8 billion.
• On a month-on-month (m-o-m) basis, exports grew RM3.6 billion (+5.2%) from RM69.2 billion. In seasonally adjusted terms, exports expanded 11.8%.
• On a m-o-m basis, imports increased RM4.4 billion (+7.3%) from RM59.4 billion. In seasonally adjusted terms, imports rose 18.9%.
• On a y-o-y basis, the higher exports were mainly to Singapore (+RM1.4 billion), China (+RM1.2 billion), European Union (+RM793.7 million), and Viet Nam (+RM700.8 million).
• On a y-o-y basis, imports increased due to the rise in imports from China (+RM2.2 billion), Japan (+RM1.0 billion), Taiwan (+RM993.2 million) and Brazil (+RM685.2 million).

TRADE

Total trade in November 2016, which was valued at RM136.6 billion, expanded RM11.7 billion (+9.3%) from a year ago. It posted an increase of RM8.0 billion or 6.2% from the previous month. A trade surplus of RM9.0 billion was recorded in November 2016, a decrease of 11.3% from RM10.2 billion registered a year ago. It also posted a decrease of RM726.0 million or 7.4% when compared with the previous month.

EXPORTS

On a y-o-y basis, exports increased 7.8% from RM67.6 billion. The main commodities which contributed to the increase were:

• Electrical and electronic (E&E) products (35.9% of total exports), increased RM3.1 billion (+13.2%) to RM26.2 billion;
• Palm oil and palm-based products, which accounted for 9.1% of total exports, increased RM1.3 billion (+24.3%) to RM6.6 billion. Exports of palm oil, the major commodity in this group of products grew RM830.7 million or 25.6% due to the increase in both average unit value (+24.9%) and export volume (+0.6%);
• Natural rubber, which contributed 0.5% to total exports, increased RM71.8 million or 27.6% to RM332.1 million due to the increase in both export volume (+20.7%) and average unit value (+5.7%);
• Timber and timber-based products, which accounted for 2.6% of total exports, rose RM38.3 million or 2.1% to RM1.9 billion; and
• Refined petroleum products, which contributed 6.0% to total exports, increased RM4.1 million or 0.1% to RM4.4 billion due to the increase in export volume (+20.2%) although average unit value declined 16.7%.

However, the following products declined in export value:

• Liquefied natural gas (LNG) (4.3% of total exports), decreased RM849.6 million or 21.3% to RM3.1 billion due to the drop in average unit value (-25.0%) although export volume increased 4.9%; and
• Crude petroleum, which accounted for 3.4% of total exports, declined RM162.9 million or 6.1% to RM2.5 billion due to the decrease in average unit value (-9.6%) as export volume rose 3.9%.

  Exports, 2012-2016

On a m-o-m basis, exports grew RM3.6 billion (+5.2%) due to:

• Crude petroleum rose RM758.3 million or 43.3% from RM1.8 billion due to the increase in export volume (+49.8%) although average unit value dropped 4.4%;
• LNG grew RM444.5 million or 16.5% from RM2.7 billion due to the increase in both export volume (+16.4%) and average unit value (+0.1%);
• Palm oil and palm-based products increased RM349.9 million or 5.6% from RM6.3 billion. Exports of palm oil rose RM130.6 million (+3.3%) due to the increase in both export volume (+2.6%) and average unit value (+0.7%); and
• Refined petroleum products rose RM107.8 million or 2.5% from RM4.2 billion due to the increase in export volume (+4.6%) as average unit value fell 2.0%.

However, decreases were recorded for the following products:

• E&E products declined RM445.6 million or 1.7% from RM26.6 billion;
• Natural rubber dropped RM11.8 million or 3.4% from RM343.9 million due to the decrease in export volume (-8.0%) as average unit value increased 5.0%; and
• Timber and timber-based products decreased RM2.2 million or 0.1% from RM1.9 billion.

Seasonally Adjusted Figure

On a m-o-m basis seasonally adjusted terms, exports increased RM7.7 billion (+11.8%) to RM72.8 billion.

IMPORTS

On a y-o-y basis, imports increased 11.2% from RM57.4 billion. The growth in imports was contributed by intermediate goods, capital goods and consumptiongoods.

These goods which constituted 55.6% of total imports increased RM3.6 billion (+11.3%) to RM35.5 billion. The growth were mainly attributed to industrial supplies, processed (+RM2.4 billion, +20.9%), fuel & lubricants, processed, others (+RM775.5 million, +58.8%) and fuel & lubricants, primary (+RM758.6 million, +86.3%).

Imports of these goods which represented 14.4% of total imports expanded RM1.1 billion or 13.1% to RM9.2 billion due to the increase in capital goods (except transport equipment) (+RM729.2 million, +10.0%) and transport equipment, industrial (+RM334.7 million, +42.0%).

Imports of consumption goods which accounted for 9.6% of total imports grew RM317.2 million (+5.4%) to RM6.1 billion. The main components contributing to the increase were non-durables (+RM230.0 million, +17.6%) and semi-durables (+RM77.1 million, +5.9%).

Imports, 2012-2016

On a m-o-m basis, imports rose RM4.4 billion or 7.3% to RM63.8 billion. The increase in imports was attributed to intermediate goods, consumptiongoods and capital goods.

These goods increased RM1.6 billion (+4.6%) from RM33.9 billion. The main components which contributed to the increase were fuel & lubricants, processed, others (+RM974.7 million, +87.0%), industrial supplies, processed (+RM622.1 million, +4.7%) and industrial supplies, primary (+RM342.1 million, +30.5%).

Imports of consumption goods rose RM789.7 million (+14.8%) from RM5.4 billion. The main components contributing to the increase were semi-durables (+RM244.5 million, +21.3%), non-durables (+RM243.2 million, +18.8%) and food & beverages, processed, mainly for household consumption (+RM174.2 million, +12.5%).

Imports of capital goods grew RM433.7 million or 5.0% from RM8.7 billion due to the increase in capital goods (except transport equipment) (+RM931.5 million, +13.1%). However, transport equipment, industrial dropped RM497.8 million or 30.5%.

Seasonally Adjusted Figure

On a m-o-m basis seasonally adjusted terms, imports increased RM10.6 billion (+18.9%) to RM67.0 billion.

MARKET SHARE

The following charts show Malaysia's major trading partners for January - November 2016.

Total Trade by Major Countries, Jan - Nov 2016, percentage share

Exports and Imports by Major Countries, Jan - Nov 2016, percentage share

The following charts show Malaysia's trade with ASEAN countries for January - November 2016.

Exports, Jan - Nov 2016, percentage share

Imports, Jan - Nov 2016, percentage share

Notes:

# The November 2016 data is provisional and subject to revision in later issues.

Released By:

THE OFFICE OF CHIEF STATISTICIAN MALAYSIA
DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS, MALAYSIA
06 JANUARY 2017

Contact person:
Ho Mei Kei
Public Relation Officer
Corporate and User Services Division
Department of Statistics, Malaysia
Tel : [phone]
Fax : [phone]
Email : mkho[at]stats.gov.my