Malaysia's export growth is expected to more than double to 6.0 percent this year after a strong performance in the first four months, the trade minister said today.

Muhyiddin Yassin said exports for the first four months of 2008 grew by 12.7 percent to RM207.6 billion, while imports expanded by 7.6 percent to RM169.3 billion.

umno retreat muhyiddin yassin pc 060608Malaysia's total trade for the first four months of 2008 grew 10.3 percent to RM376.9 billion compared to the same period a year ago, he added.

Launching the annual trade report for 2007, Muhyiddin said exports grew by 2.7 percent to RM605.2 billion last year, while imports recorded an increase of 5.0 percent to RM504.8 billion.

"Exports from all sectors, namely manufacturing, mining and agriculture registered growth," Muhyiddin said.

The report showed manufactured goods continued to dominate Malaysia's exports, accounting for 74.8 percent of total exports.

Total trade in 2007 increased by 3.8 percent to RM1.11 trillion. However, Malaysia's trade surplus dropped from RM108.2 billion in 2006 to RM100.3 billion in 2007.

Muhyiddin said the country is expected to benefit from newly forged free trade agreements and will target new markets as the Southeast Asian bloc introduces further trade liberalisation measures.