03/06/2011 (Bernama) - Malaysia recorded a year-on year growth of 10.3 per cent in total trade to RM104.58 billion in April compared with RM94.776 billion registered previously, said International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.

Exports expanded 11.1 per cent to RM57.80 billion, from RM52.02 billion recorded in April 2010, while imports grew 9.4 per cent to RM46.79 billion, against RM42.76 billion, previously, he said in a statement on preliminary external trade statistics for April.

A RM11.01 billion trade surplus was recorded in April, making it the 162th consecutive month of trade surplus registered, since November 1997.

Compared with March 2011, exports decreased 6.6 per cent, while imports were 7.4 per cent lower with total trade declining 7.0 per cent.

For the cumulative four-months period, total trade increased 8.6 per cent to RM405.54 billion, supported by strong growth in exports of 6.4 per cent to RM224.16 billion, and imports of 11.6 per cent to RM181.38 billion over the same period last year.

Major items that contributed to the significant export increase in April were electrical & electronic products (RM19.85 billion), liquefied natural gas worth RM4.26 billion, palm oil (RM4.84 billion), refined petroleum products (RM3.01 billion), crude rubber (RM1.47 billion), optical and scientific equipment (RM1.83 billion) as well as chemicals and chemical products (RM3.64 billion).

Singapore, China, Japan, the United States and Thailand were the top five export markets, accounting for 50.4 per cent of Malaysia's total exports in April.

Asean member countries accounted for RM14.49 billion or 25.1 per cent of total exports during the month in review.

Meanwhile, among major imports in April were electrical & electronic products worth RM14.54 billion, chemicals and chemical products (RM4.56 billion), machinery appliances & parts (RM3.72 billion), manufactures of metal (RM3.08 billion) and refined petroleum products (RM2.67 billion).

Top importers were China, Singapore, Japan, the United States and Thailand.

Meanwhile, Asean member countries accounted for RM50.86 billion or 16.6 per cent of total imports in April.