KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — Malaysia’s exports grew only marginally in March from a year ago, which the government said stemmed from decreasing earnings from liquefied natural gas and crude oil.
It said today that exports, which increased 6.7 per cent on year in February, rose 0.2 per cent in March. The median in a Reuters poll was for a 0.4 per cent rise.
Imports in March fell 5.5 per cent from a year earlier, in contrast to the previous month’s 1.6 per cent growth.
March’s trade surplus rose to RM11.2 billion from RM7.4 billion in February.
Malaysia reports its trade figures in ringgit. This year, it has strengthened about 7 per cent against the dollar. In 2015, it tumbled nearly 19 per cent versus the dollar.
Exports to the EU grew 6.5 per cent, while those to the US rose 11.8 per cent, due to larger shipments of electrical and electronic products.
For the first quarter, total exports grew 1 per cent from a year earlier, while imports were flat. — Reuters
