By Dr Tun Yin Li
In November 2023, Malaysia’s trade was reported to have slowed at a moderate rate of 2.4% year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM231.79 billion. Total exports were recorded at RM122.10 billion, a contraction of 5.9% y-o-y while imports grew by 1.7% to RM109.69 billion for the same period. Trade surplus was valued at RM12.41 billion, making it the 43rd consecutive month of surplus since May 2020. Malaysia’s performance was in tandem with its key trading partners notably Taiwan, ROC and Indonesia which posted negative trade growth in November 2023 and a drop in global imports.