| A.
BALANCE OF TRADE
4. Total exports recorded
a growth of 16.1% to RM449.9 billion for the first eight
months of 2008, while imports increased by 8.7% to RM355.3
billion as compared with RM387.5 billion (export) and
RM327.0 billion (import) respectively in 2007. Malaysia’s
external trade balance registered a surplus of RM94.5
billion, a surge of RM34.1 billion (+56.3%), as against
RM60.5 billion in the same corresponding reference period
of last year.
B. EXPORTS
5. Electrical &
electronic products, valued at RM173.3 billion, remained
as Malaysia’s leading export earner and accounted
for 38.5% of total exports during the period January
– August 2008. Export revenue from this category
of products increased slightly by RM1.9 billion or +1.1%
of the total exports during the first eight months of
2008. The major component namely electronic integrated
circuits, which accounted 26.4% of total exports of
electrical & electronic products decreased by 7.6%
to RM45.7 billion.
6. Palm oil & palm
oil-based products, the second largest export revenue
earner with a total combined value of RM45.2 billion
for the period of January – August 2008, contributed
10% to total exports. Exports of palm oil, the major
commodity in this group of products, posted a growth
of 79.6% to RM33.1 billion. This increment was due to
higher average unit value and export volume, which increased
by 41.1% to RM3,106.4 per tonne and 27.3% to 10.7 million
tonnes respectively.
7. Crude petroleum,
the third largest commodity which accounted for 6.6%
of total exports, surged by RM9.4 billion (+46.5%) to
RM29.5 billion during the period under review. This
was mainly attributed to increase in average unit value
of 41% to RM2,547.6 per tonne and marginal rise in export
volume by 3.9% to 11.6 million tonnes.
8. Liquefied natural
gas (LNG), which made up 5.1% of total exports, remained
as the fourth largest export commodity. Total exports
of LNG rose by 33.7% to RM22.9 billion in the first
eight months of 2008. This increase was the result of
higher average unit value of RM1,483.2 per tonne (+34.6%)
despite a minor decline in export volume by 0.7% to
15.4 million tonnes.
9. Petroleum products,
the fifth largest export commodity (4.6% of total exports),
recorded a surge of 74.1% to RM20.6 billion over the
same corresponding period last year.
10. Timber & timber-based
products, the sixth largest export earner amounted to
RM14.9 billion or 3.3% of total exports, declined by
RM211.9 million compared with the corresponding period
of 2007.
C. IMPORTS | 
