KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 — Malaysia’s trade grew 9.3 per cent year-on-year to RM272.95 billion in March 2026, driven by strong demand for electrical and electronic (E&E) goods.

Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) chairman Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican said exports rose 8.3 per cent to RM148.75 billion, alongside gains in petroleum products and optical equipment.

“For the first quarter, exports expanded 12.7 per cent to RM426.53 billion, pushing the trade surplus up 54 per cent to RM63.22 billion.

“Malaysia’s trade performance remains resilient despite global uncertainty, supported by strong demand and a diversified market base,” Reezal Merican told a press briefing at the Matrade headquarters here today.

Looking at previous years, he said Malaysia’s export growth continues to be supported by key traditional markets such as Asean, the United States, China, the European Union (EU), Hong Kong and Taiwan, which collectively account for 76.7 per cent of total exports.

“In addition, we have also successfully diversified our export destinations to non-traditional markets such as Latin America, Africa and Central Asia, which recorded a growth of 13.2 per cent compared to the first quarter of last year,” he added.

Among the non-traditional markets that recorded growth were Sudan (RM90.8 million, up 322.5 per cent), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (RM86.3 million, up 165.3 per cent), Uganda (RM40.4 million, up 284.5 per cent), Zimbabwe (RM21.2 million, up 207.7 per cent), Haiti (RM73.1 million, up 940.6 per cent), Paraguay (RM12.6 million, up 161.7 per cent), Guyana (RM20.9 million, up 70.3 per cent), Uzbekistan (RM101.5 million, up 14.7 per cent), Ethiopia (RM125.3 million, up 91.6 per cent), Tanzania (RM461.1 million, up 38.4 per cent), Bangladesh (RM3.44 billion, up 33.7 per cent), Egypt (RM777.7 million, up 18.6 per cent), and Libya (RM29.5 million, up 31.6 per cent).

“In line with the country’s market diversification strategy, Malaysia continues to optimise the role of Free Trade Agreements (FTA) to expand export reach across both established and emerging markets.

“Trade with FTA partners grew by 10.4 per cent to RM515.45 billion, underpinned by a 6.8 per cent increase in exports to RM269.01 billion, driven by stronger shipments to China, Hong Kong SAR, Viet Nam and Mexico,” he said.

Other FTA markets that recorded notable growth include Mexico (RM8.03 billion), Hong Kong (RM3.71 billion), the Republic of Korea (RM14.8 billion), India (RM13.9 billion) and the UK (RM2.44 billion).

Exports to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) also rose by 2.6 per cent to RM202.47 billion, supported by higher demand for E&E goods, machinery and equipment, as well as optical and scientific products, he said.

“This underscores RCEP’s rising importance as a platform for Malaysia to tap deeper into high-growth, high-value sectors as regional supply chains deepen and diversify.

“Amid a global reconfiguration of supply chains, as we also learned from the experience during the Covid-19 pandemic, these gains reflect not just resilience but also emerging opportunities for Malaysia to reposition ourselves within the evolving trade networks.

“In this context, FTAs remain key to expanding our exports and reducing dependence on traditional markets,” Reezal Merican said.

At the regional level, Asean remains a critical pillar of Malaysia’s trade.

“Trade with Asean increased by 3.8 per cent to RM193.06 billion, contributing 24.4 per cent to Malaysia’s total trade, with exports reaching RM109.26 billion (contributing 25.6 per cent to Malaysia’s total exports), driven by continued expansion in E&E and optical and scientific goods.

“Notably, double-digit export growth was recorded to Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and Timor-Leste,” he said.