Malaysia export data: Key insights and performance drivers in Q1 2026
- Malaysia exports reached US$$107.54B in Q1 2026, a 12.7 percent year-on-year rise, with the trade surplus widening 53.9% to RM63.16 billion (about US$15.41 billion), from the Department of Statistics Malaysia.
- Electrical and electronic (E&E) products are Malaysia's biggest exports, led by electronic integrated circuits (HS 8542) per TradeInt's records.
- The United States, Singapore, and China are the leading export partners of Malaysia, together taking over 40 percent of Malaysia's exports.
- Refined petroleum, LNG, palm oil, and semiconductor machinery round out Malaysia's main exports beyond chips.
Malaysia export product list: What are Malaysia's main exports?
Malaysia's main exports are led by electronic integrated circuits (HS 8542) at US$35.69 billion, refined petroleum oils (HS 2710) at US$5.77 billion, and data-storage media (HS 8523) at US$4.38 billion.
Petroleum gases, palm oil, smartphones, data-processing machines, measuring instruments, semiconductor-making machinery, and discrete semiconductor devices complete the top of the export products list, according to TradeInt's Malaysia export data.
Top 5 exports of Malaysia in Q1 2026:
- Electronic integrated circuits (HS 8542): Malaysia's biggest export by value and the anchor of its semiconductor backend role.
- Refined petroleum oils (HS 2710): the leading energy line, reflecting Malaysia's refining and re-export capacity.
- Data-recording media and solid-state storage (HS 8523): a steady high-volume electronics category tied to global data demand.
- Liquefied petroleum gases (HS 2711): a core mining-sector export linked to Malaysia's LNG complex.
- Palm oil and fractions (HS 1511): the top agricultural export and Malaysia's most recognised commodity worldwide.
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Malaysia import export trade statistics overview by year and HS codeThe demand behind Malaysia's three leading products in 2026 sits firmly in global technology and energy markets. A few market developments stand out for each:
- Integrated circuits: MITI tied Malaysia's record E&E exports to strong worldwide demand for AI and automotive chips, a structural pull that led Apex Securities to raise its full-year forecast for Malaysian export growth to 16.3%.
- Refined petroleum: DOSM reported that the value of Malaysia's refined petroleum exports climbed sharply in May 2026 on a roughly 74% jump in average price, even as shipment volumes stayed modest, showing how firmer global energy pricing lifted the line.
- Storage and data media: Continued global data-centre and cloud build-out keeps demand for Malaysian memory and storage products high, tying this category to the same AI investment cycle driving the country's chip exports.
Malaysia export destinations: What countries does Malaysia export to?
Malaysia exports mainly to the United States, Singapore, and China. The US led in Q1 2026 at US$18.88 billion (17.56%), Singapore followed at US$13.89 billion (12.91%), and China came third at US$12.01 billion (11.16%), per TradeInt's records.
On the other hand, the main suppliers of Malaysia are also from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, and India, as captured in TradeInt's dataset.
Top Malaysia export partners in Q1 2026:
- United States (US$18.88 billion): largest export partner, buying chiefly integrated circuits, with Intel Corporation the top importer.
- Singapore (US$13.89 billion): the leading Asean partner and a key regional re-export gateway, led by semiconductor demand.
- China (US$12.01 billion): a major electronics-linked destination, with Phison Electronics among the top buyers.
- Japan (US$5.00 billion): a notable energy buyer, with petroleum gases (LNG) among its top imported categories from Malaysia.
- Vietnam (US$3.88 billion): a fast-growing Asean partner, with Intel Products Vietnam among the leading importers.
Malaysia's destination markets split into two clear demand engines in 2026: a technology cluster buying chips and an energy cluster buying gas, with the fastest official growth coming from the chip-heavy markets. The patterns worth noting across Malaysia's leading partners are:
- Chip demand drove the Western and North Asian markets: The United States, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan all buy mainly integrated circuits from Malaysia, and DOSM data shows these chip-led markets posted some of the steepest April 2026 growth, with Taiwan up 86.0% and Hong Kong up 67.8%. This places Malaysia at the centre of the AI-driven semiconductor cycle that MITI identified as its main export engine.
- Energy demand anchored Japan and South Korea: Japan and South Korea import mostly petroleum gases from Malaysia, reflecting their role as major LNG buyers and Malaysia's standing as a long-term gas supplier; their slower growth (Japan +6.4%) shows energy demand is steadier than the chip surge.
- Asean integration deepened Malaysia's regional ties: Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam together show how regional supply chains route Malaysian electronics, with Singapore acting as Malaysia's dominant re-export gateway into wider global markets.
- India pulled on commodities rather than chips: India stands apart from the electronics-led markets by buying mainly palm oil from Malaysia, underscoring Malaysia's continued role as a leading edible-oil supplier to South Asia.
- The Vietnam corridor strengthened sharply: Vietnam's exports from Malaysia grew 65.1% year-on-year in April 2026, and according to Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade, two-way Vietnam-Malaysia trade posted strong growth across the first five months of 2026, reinforcing the Asean electronics linkage.
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Malaysia's external trade crossed US$646 billion in 2025, its first year above RM3 trillion. TradeInt's analysis covers what drove that milestone: HS 8542 dual dominance, top partner concentration, and what the capital-goods import surge signals for 2026.
Read more: Malaysia Trade Data 2025 Overview
How is Malaysia's export market performing in 2026?
Malaysia's tracked export value moved through a full cycle across 2025 before easing into early 2026, per TradeInt's records. The export market peaked in Q3 2025 at US$194.27 billion, a 9.66% quarter-on-quarter gain, then stepped down to US$140.22 billion in Q4 2025 and US$107.54 billion in Q1 2026.
Malaysia's exports peaked in Q3 2025 at US$194 billion, then slowly and continuously declined until the current Q1 2026.
Beyond TradeInt's tracking, Malaysia's official trade has run at record strength through the first half of 2026.
Based on reporting from The Star, Malaysia's total external trade in May 2026 expanded at its fastest pace in 44 months, as the country's monthly exports and trade surplus both set fresh records.
The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) reported that this export strength was broad-based across Malaysia's major markets rather than tied to a single product, which helps explain why the gains held up even as some commodity lines softened.
The factors lifting Malaysia's 2026 exports are:
- Semiconductor and electronics demand led the gains: MITI attributed Malaysia's record electrical and electronic (E&E) exports to a strong global appetite for AI-related and automotive chips, making E&E the single largest driver of the country's export growth in the period.
- Energy exports gained on firmer pricing: DOSM (Department of Statistics Malaysia) reported that Malaysia's refined petroleum and LNG export values rose by 80.6%, even where shipment volumes stayed modest, adding to the overall export total.
- Multiple destination markets hit records: MITI noted that Malaysia's exports to Taiwan and the European Union reached all-time highs in May 2026, while shipments to Asean, China, and the United States all grew by double digits, confirming demand was widespread.
- Free trade agreements widened Malaysia's reach: MITI credited Malaysia's free trade agreement network with lifting exports to newer markets such as Mexico, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Pakistan across several product categories.
- Palm oil was the main offset: Palm oil exports declined by RM1.7 billion (about US$415 million), down 29.4%, as export volume fell 30.1%. The average unit value rose 1.0%, while domestic crude palm oil prices increased 15.9% to RM4,498.5 per metric tonne (about US$1,098).
From New Straits Times, Apex Securities, a Malaysian investment research house that publishes regular forecasts on the country's trade, nearly doubled its projection for Malaysia's 2026 export growth to 16.3% year-on-year, up from an earlier 8.1% call.
The brokerage linked the upgrade directly to sustained global demand for Malaysian semiconductors and electronics, the same E&E strength that drove the record May figures, signalling that the early-year momentum is expected to carry through the rest of 2026.
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🌴 Preview Previous Malaysia Palm Oil Export Records on TradeInt
Browse trade records of transaction-date Bill of Lading entries for palm oil shipments (HS 1511), with highlighted exporters, destination markets for each top 6-digit HS.
Preview Malaysia trade records: Malaysia HS 1511 palm oil shipment records
How to turn Malaysia export data into real global trade business opportunities?
Malaysia's export data shows you exactly who is already selling a product, in what volume, and to which markets, turning customs records into a practical sourcing or partnership list.
TradeInt makes this searchable by drawing on over 10 billion shipment records and 470 million-plus verified business profiles, so you can build that list directly from real Malaysian export activity.
Here's how exporters can use Malaysia trade data for business opportunities:
- Identify active competitors: Access TradeInt trade data system and search for any product or HS code to see every Malaysian company currently exporting it, along with shipment volume and frequency, to gauge how crowded a category is before entering it.
- Spot underserved markets: Filter by destination to see exactly where a product is currently being shipped, making it easy to compare markets and find ones with room for a new supplier.
- Vet potential partners or distributors: Pull up a specific exporter's full shipment history and existing trade relationships to assess scale and reliability before reaching out.
- Map supply chain gaps: Cross-reference buyers and suppliers across a product category to find where a new entrant could realistically fit in.
These capabilities draw on TradeInt's transaction-date shipment records from customs filings, making them suited for sourcing research, partner vetting, and corridor analysis rather than real-time alerts.
Explore TradeInt's full product features to see how these tools work across markets.
Conclusion
Malaysia export data in Q1 2026 shows a trade economy anchored in electronics and energy. According to TradeInt's records, electronic integrated circuits alone made up 33.18% of Malaysia's tracked exports, with the United States, Singapore, and China absorbing over 40% of total outbound shipments.
The export products list and destination map both point to the same structural story: Malaysia sits at the centre of the global semiconductor supply chain, with AI and automotive chip demand driving the bulk of its export value and its fastest-growing partner markets.
For deeper Malaysia market expansion, connect with TradeInt's experts for a demo.
Frequently asked questions
What is Malaysia's main export to the US?
Electronic integrated circuits (HS 8542) are Malaysia's main export to the US, with Intel Corporation the top importer. This segment as a whole makes up the bulk of US-bound shipments, reflecting strong American demand for chips and tech hardware.
What is Malaysia the world's largest exporter of?
Malaysia is one of the world's largest exporters of palm oil, alongside Indonesia, and a major global supplier of semiconductor and electronics products.
What is the main export of Malaysia?
The main export of Malaysia is electronic integrated circuits (HS 8542), valued at US$35.69 billion in Q1 2026. Electrical and electronic products as a sector are Malaysia's biggest exports overall.
Who is Malaysia's largest trading partner?
The United States is Malaysia's largest export partner in Q1 2026 at US$18.88 billion, according to TradeInt. China remains Malaysia's largest source of imports.
