KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — Malaysia’s exports in June rose 8.8 per cent from last year, lifted by upbeat performances in the manufacturing and agriculture sectors, government data showed on Tuesday.
The expansion beat the 8 per cent drop forecast by analysts surveyed by Reuters. In May, exports had slumped 25.5 per cent, its worst performance in more than a decade.
“Malaysia’s exports performance seems to have recovered from the impact of COVID-19 pandemic after registering a positive growth in the current month,” said Malaysia’s chief statistician Mohd Uzir Mahidin in a statement.
Imports in June shrank by 5.6 per cent from a year earlier, slowing from the 30.4 per cent decline recorded in the prior month, data from the ministry showed. Analysts had expected a fall of 10 per cent.
Malaysia’s trade balance widened to a historical high of RM20.9 billion (US$4.92 billion) last month, from a RM10.4 billion surplus in May.
— Reuters
