Malaysia’s trade hits RM327.6bil in May 2026; Sarawak posts RM1.7bil export growth

File photo for illustration purposes. Photo credit: pixabay.com

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, June 28: Malaysia’s total trade reached RM327.6 billion in May 2026, underpinned by strong export performance across several states, including Sarawak, according to the latest ‘Export Import Statistics by State May 2026’ released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

Chief Statistician Malaysia Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said exports surged to RM184.0 billion, up RM57.4 billion or 45.3 per cent compared to the same month last year, while imports stood at RM143.6 billion.

He said the increase in exports was driven mainly by Pulau Pinang, Johor, W.P. Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak, alongside several other states.

Pulau Pinang led national export growth with an increase of RM50.0 billion, followed by Johor (+RM6.6 billion), W.P. Kuala Lumpur (+RM2.1 billion), Sarawak (+RM1.7 billion), Perak (+RM504.4 million), Terengganu (+RM346.0 million) and Kelantan (+RM35.7 million).

However, exports declined in Sabah, Pahang, Melaka, Selangor, W.P. Labuan, Kedah, Negeri Sembilan and Perlis.

Pulau Pinang remained Malaysia’s top exporter, contributing 52.1 per cent of total exports, followed by Johor (17.0 per cent), Selangor (12.7 per cent), Sarawak (5.0 per cent) and W.P. Kuala Lumpur (3.7 per cent).

On imports, Malaysia recorded an increase of RM17.8 billion or 14.1 per cent compared to May 2025, supported by higher imports in most states.

The import growth was led by Pulau Pinang (+RM13.2 billion), Johor (+RM9.2 billion), Kedah (+RM1.3 billion), Negeri Sembilan (+RM1.0 billion), W.P. Kuala Lumpur (+RM496.4 million), Sabah (+RM245.0 million), Pahang (+RM68.1 million), W.P. Labuan (+RM31.5 million) and Terengganu (+RM2.2 million).

However, several states recorded declines in imports, including Selangor (-RM4.7 billion), Melaka (-RM1.4 billion), Perak (-RM215.8 million), Perlis (-RM117.2 million), Sarawak (-RM55.1 million) and Kelantan (-RM41.3 million).

Pulau Pinang also dominated imports with a 29.4 per cent share, followed by Johor (24.4 per cent), Selangor (22.4 per cent), W.P. Kuala Lumpur (8.3 per cent) and Kedah (4.8 per cent).

Meanwhile, DOSM said it is currently conducting the Economic Census 2026 (BE2026), themed “Data Nadi Ekonomi Rakyat”, running from Jan 5 to Oct 31, covering all registered and unregistered business establishments nationwide to assess Malaysia’s economic structure and performance in a comprehensive, evidence-based manner.

The department said the census will provide key input for refining major economic indicators, including Gross Domestic Product (GDP), industrial indices and input-output tables.

DOSM also highlighted Malaysia’s global achievement in data transparency after ranking first in the Open Data Inventory (ODIN) 2024/25 report by Open Data Watch, marking a sharp rise from 67th position previously.

The OpenDOSM NextGen platform at https://open.dosm.gov.my continues to provide accessible data catalogues and visualisations to support public understanding and analysis of national statistics. — DayakDaily