KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 ― Malaysia’s monthly export and import unit value indices continued to show positive growth in July 2021, both rising 1.3 per cent month-on-month (m-o-m).

In contrast, their volume indices recorded a decline in the same period, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM) said.

Chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the higher export unit value index was contributed by increases in the indices of mineral fuels (6.7 per cent), machinery and transport equipment (1.1 per cent) and manufactured goods (0.5 per cent).

"On the other hand, the export volume index recorded a decline of 9.0 per cent in the same month, reflected by the decreases in the indices of miscellaneous manufactured articles (-22.9 per cent), manufactured goods (-12.0 per cent) and machinery and transport equipment (-7.7 per cent),” he said in an external trade indices report released today.

Mohd Uzir said the seasonally adjusted export volume index posted a decrease of 20.7 per cent from 172.8 points to 137.0 points.

"When compared to the previous year, the export unit value index grew 14.3 per cent, while the export volume index declined 8.2 per cent,” he said.

On the import unit value index, Mohd Uzir said the increment was driven by growth in the indices of mineral fuels (8.1 per cent), machinery and transport equipment (0.7 per cent) and manufactured goods (0.4 per cent).

However, the import volume index fell 0.8 per cent in the same month compared to the preceding month, attributed to the drop in the indices of animal and vegetable oils and fats (-19.1 per cent), manufactured goods (-13.6 per cent) and chemicals (-9.8 per cent).

"The seasonally adjusted import volume index in July 2021 posted a decrease of 9.5 per cent from 170.6 points to 154.3 points.

"On a year-on-year basis, both the import unit value and volume indices expanded 5.6 per cent and 17.5 per cent, respectively,” he said.

The DoSM also reported that Malaysia’s terms of trade increased marginally by 0.05 per cent m-o-m to 105.0 points in July 2021, while, on a y-o-y basis, the country’s terms of trade performance remained positive at 8.4 per cent from 96.9 points in July of the previous year. ― Bernama