What does Malaysia sell to the world?
Chips and machines, mostly. And it runs a big trade surplus doing it.
Electronics, above all. In March 2026 Malaysia exported RM149 billion of goods and imported RM124 billion, a RM25 billion trade surplus in a single month. More than half of exports, about RM80 billion, was machinery and electronics. Palm oil, the thing Malaysia is famous for, was just RM6 billion.
Monthly exports, RM billion
Malaysia's goods exports run around RM130 to RM150 billion a month, and it has posted a trade surplus every month.
Exports by category (March 2026)
Machinery and electronics dwarfs everything. Petroleum and LNG are still big; palm oil, Malaysia's signature crop, is a small slice of a modern manufacturing economy.
What it means
- Machinery and electronics is 54% of Malaysia's exports (about RM80 billion in March 2026), the backbone of the economy. Malaysia is a chips-and-devices exporter first.
- Malaysia runs a trade surplus: it sold RM149 billion and bought RM124 billion in March 2026, a RM25 billion gap, and it has been in surplus every recent month.
- Petroleum and LNG are still a major earner at about RM16 billion a month.
- Palm oil is a small slice now (about RM6 billion). The crop Malaysia is known for is dwarfed by its factories.
- Total goods exports run around RM130 to RM150 billion a month, one of the highest trade-to-GDP ratios in the world.
- Publisher
- Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), via data.gov.my · Government, national statistics office, open data
- Document
- External trade by SITC section
- Published
- 2026
- Source link
- https://data.gov.my/data-catalogue/trade_sitc_1d
- Retrieved
- 2026-07-06
- Coverage
- Exports and imports of goods by SITC 1-digit section, monthly, in ringgit. Latest published month is March 2026. 'Machinery & transport equipment' is where electrical & electronics (E&E) products sit; 'animal & vegetable oils' is mostly palm oil.
Frequently asked
What is Malaysia's biggest export?
Machinery and electronics (including electrical & electronic products), which made up about 54% of exports, roughly RM80 billion, in March 2026, according to DOSM data on data.gov.my.
Does Malaysia have a trade surplus?
Yes. In March 2026 it exported RM149 billion and imported RM124 billion, a surplus of about RM25 billion, and it has run a surplus every recent month.
Is palm oil still Malaysia's main export?
No. Palm and other vegetable oils were only about RM6 billion in March 2026, far behind machinery, electronics and even petroleum. Malaysia's exports are dominated by manufacturing.
How much does Malaysia export each month?
Around RM130 to RM150 billion of goods a month in 2025-26, per DOSM external trade statistics on data.gov.my.
Where does this trade data come from?
From the Department of Statistics Malaysia's external trade statistics (by SITC section), published as official open data on data.gov.my. Latest month: March 2026.
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