Malásia Balança Comercial

Malaysia's trade surplus slumped to MYR 5.7 billion in August 2024 from MYR 17.2 billion in the same month of the previous year, missing market estimates of a gain of MYR 10.4 billion, marking the 52nd consecutive month of surplus but the smallest amount since August 2018, mainly due to a surge in imports. Year-on-year, purchases soared 26.2%, the most in almost two years, to a near-record high of MYR 123.5 billion, above forecasts of 21.2%, supported by rises across all sectors. Meanwhile, shipments grew at a softer 12.1% to MYR 129.2 billion, compared to estimates of an 11.7% gain, due to higher sales of manufacturing and agriculture. For the first eight months of the year, the trade surplus slumped by 49.2% from the same period of 2023 to MYR 78.2 billion, with exports rising 6% while imports surged by 16.8%.