KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has recorded a trade surplus ofRM4.2 billion in July this year compared with RM4.0 billion registered inJuly 2000.

Department of Statistics in a statement said the current month's surplusrose by 5.0 percent due to a higher decline in imports by 21.0 percent ascompared with exports which declined by 17.8 percent.

Total exports were valued at RM26.9 billion whilst imports amounted toRM22.7 billion as against RM32.7 billion (exports) and RM28.7 billion(imports) in July 2000.

Electrical and electronic products, which accounted for 54.6 percent oftotal exports to register at RM14.7 billion, remained the country's singlelargest contributor to export receipts.

Imports of intermediate and capital goods representing 86.7 percent oftotal imports, dropped by 24.0 percent.

Meanwhile, for the first seven months of this year, Malaysia's externaltrade registered a lower surplus of RM30 billion as against RM32.8 billionin the same year-ago period.

Total imports were lower by 5.5 percent to RM165.9 billion while exportscontracted by 6.0 percent to RM196.0 billion when compared with RM175.6billion (imports) and RM208.5 billion (exports) in the correspondingperiod of 2000.

Malaysia's total exports for the first seven months of 2001 stood atRM196.0 billion, decreasing by 6.0 percent or RM12.5 billion as comparedwith RM208.5 billion recorded in the same period of 2000.

Electrical and electronic products continued to be the single largestexport revenue earner, yielding receipts of (RM109.8 billion) or 56.0percent of total exports during the first seven-months of 2001.

However, export revenue from this category of commodities was 9.1 percentlower with electronic integrated circuits (IC), the major components,accounting for 25.5 percent of total exports of electrical and electronicproducts.

The export value of the component at RM28.0 billion, dropped by 1.4percent from the corresponding value for the January-July 2000 period.

Palm oil and palm oil-based products, the second largest export revenueearner (with a total combined value of RM8.3 billion), contributing 4.3percent to total exports.

Crude petroleum, the third largest export commodity was down by 2.5percent to register RM7.4 billion, due to a reduction in export volume.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG), the fourth largest export revenue earner grewby RM0.4 billion or 6.1 percent as a result of a firmer average exportunit value and a higher export volume.

The fifth largest export commodity, petroleum products went up by 12.7percent or RM544.4 million between the two review periods.

Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, ranked as the sixth largestexport commodity with export receipts amounting to RM4.6 billion, was 4.9percent or RM236.5 million lower between the review periods.

Malaysia's total imports stood lower by 5.5 percent to RM165.9 billioncompared with RM175.6 billion during the previous corresponding period.

The composition of imports by end-use for the three major categories ofimports were as follows: * intermediate goods - RM119.9 billion (72.3percent of total imports); the main component being parts and accessoriesof capital goods (excluding transport equipment) amounting to RM69.9billion or 58.3 percent of imports of intermediate goods.

* capital goods - RM26.3 billion (15.8 percent of total imports)*consumption goods - RM9.9 billion (6.0 percent of total imports). Thedepartment added that Malaysia's top three trading partners were the USA,Japan and Singapore.

These three countries collectively contributed more than half (50.5percent) to Malaysia's total trade during the January-July 2001 period.

-- BERNAMA