Bilateral trade between Malaysia and China hit RM170.6 billion in the first nine months of the year, up 1.3 % when compared with the same period a year ago.
Malaysian Second Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Lee Chee Leong said of this figure, finished products contributed RM154.7 billion, followed by agricultural products (RM9.2 billion) and minerals (RM6 billion).
“For the same period, Malaysia’s imports from China rose 9.1 % year-on-year (y-o-y) to reach RM102.7 billion,” he added.
Exports, however, dropped 8.5 % y-o-y to RM67.9 billion.
Lee attributed this to weakened exports in electrical and electronic products, as well as lower demand for commodities such as palm oil, liquefied natural gas and natural rubber, due to a slowdown in growth of the world’s second largest economy. (QNA)