KL posts trade surplus

KL posts trade surplus

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia posted a 238.2-million-ringgit (US$95. 3 million) trade surplus in May, compared to a deficit of 253.9 million ringgit a month earlier, the statistics department said yesterday.

The turnaround was attributed to May exports rising by 6.4 percent to 16. 992 billion ringgit against a 3.3 percent rise in imports to 16.753 billion ringgit, it said in data released through the Bernama news agency.

The department said the figures were provisional, with final data to be released later this month.

May's improved trade performance narrowed the total deficit for the first five months of the year to 1.372 billion ringgit compared with a deficit of 3. 473 billion ringgit in the same period a year ago.

Exports in the first five months rose 14.5 percent from a year earlier to 80.273 billion ringgit while imports grew by 11 percent to 81.646 billion ringgit.