Malaysia’s strategic positioning in technology and energy drives its trade surplus to a historic high of 132.77 billion ringgit ($31.99 billion) in January to May, 2026.
The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) said in a statement on Monday that Malaysia’s external sector has demonstrated exceptional strategic resilience, with total trade from January to May 2026 expanding by 18.3 percent year-on-year to 1.46 trillion ringgit.
Driven by an artificial intelligence (AI)-led tech boom and elevated global energy demand, exports surged 24.3 percent to 793.84 billion ringgit, outpacing import growth of 11.8 percent to 661.07 billion ringgit.
This robust performance propelled Malaysia’s trade surplus to a historic record of 132.77 billion ringgit for the five-month period, nearly three times higher than the 46.93 billion ringgit recorded in the same period last year.
“Our electrical and electronics (E&E) exports alone surged 39.7 percent to 382.89 billion ringgit, led by an extraordinary 61.6 percent jump in semiconductor exports tailored for global AI infrastructure,
“Petroleum products and liquefied natural gas (LNG) posted growth of 22.9 percent and 1.5 percent respectively, supported by elevated global energy prices stemming from geopolitical tensions in the Middle East,” said Abu Bakar Yusof, Chief Executive Officer of MATRADE.
“Furthermore, our high-growth high-value (HGHV) automotive components and electric vehicles (EVs and plug-in hybrid EVs) exports soared +115.8 percent, proving that Malaysia is successfully moving up the global value chain,” he added.
He also pointed to Malaysia’s rise to the 15th place in the 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, up from the 23rd rank a year earlier, as further validation of the country’s economic trajectory.
“Malaysia’s climb to 15th place in the 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, our best showing in recent history is a clear external validation of the same fundamentals driving our trade numbers today. Improvements across economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency and infrastructure have significantly contributed to a more conducive operating environment that strengthens our trade and export ecosystem and enables our exporters and SMEs to be globally competitive and integrated deeper into global value chains,
“The record-breaking trade performance and improved competitiveness ranking achieved in the same window tell the same story; Malaysia is becoming a more dependable, more efficient place to do business, and the world is taking notice,” he added.
Beyond traditional markets, he noted Malaysia continued to diversify its export footprint into emerging and non-traditional markets, with exports to Latin America, Central Asia, Oceania, Africa and Central and Eastern Europe collectively posting strong growth. Standout performers included Mexico (growth of +46.2 percent), Brazil (+18.5 percent), Uzbekistan (+33.8 percent), Croatia (+117.9 percent), Bulgaria (+106.9 percent) and Hungary (+64.6 percent), alongside exceptional gains in frontier markets such as Sudan (+264 percent), Liberia (+140.2 percent) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (+137.8 percent).
MATRADE said it will continue to monitor the ongoing development in the Middle-East to address the global supply disruptions encountered by industry players and exporters in Malaysia.
“Through MATRADE’s 47 overseas trade offices and the Trade Resilience Task Force that was established, we will consistently engage with local industry players, exporters and relevant stakeholders to facilitate market access,
“This is to ensure the disruptions can be overcome effectively and trade and exports continue to grow.” Abu Bakar Yusof concluded.
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