GEORGE TOWN, June 16 — Malaysia’s total trade expanded to RM3.1 trillion in 2025, comprising RM1.6 trillion in exports and RM1.5 trillion in imports, said the Statistics Department (DOSM).
Penang accounted for 38.1 per cent of Malaysia’s total exports, followed by Johor (19.8 per cent), Selangor (17 per cent), Sarawak (6.4 per cent) and Kuala Lumpur (3.7 per cent), said chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin in the Malaysia External Trade Statistics by State 2026 report released today.
“Strong export growth was driven by electronic integrated circuits and other electrical and electronic (E&E) products, particularly in Penang, Selangor and Johor.
“Refined petroleum products contributed to exports in Johor, while palm oil was among the key contributors to exports in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said in a statement today.
Uzir said the report also showed that Malaysia’s Trade Openness Index (TOI) rose to 151 in 2025 from 149 the previous year, reflecting stronger integration between trade and the economy.
He noted that Penang had the highest TOI at 575.1 in 2024, up from 540.6 in 2023, followed by Johor at 332.1 and Kedah at 234.2, the only three states to surpass the national level.
The TOI measures the degree of dependence of international trade in goods on the economy, while the index can be used to analyse trade patterns and the importance of trade to the economy, he said.
He added that the TOI by state for 2025 is still being compiled, pending completion of state-level gross domestic product estimates, and will be published in the next release.
Uzir said other states that recorded higher exports were Johor (RM12.6 billion), Selangor (RM7.6 billion), Melaka (RM4.2 billion), Perak (RM117.4 million), Sabah (RM134.7 million) and Perlis (RM0.5 million).
However, he said exports declined in Sarawak (-RM15.1 billion), Kedah (-RM10.3 billion), Terengganu (-RM8.4 billion), Kuala Lumpur (-RM4.8 billion), Pahang (-RM4.8 billion), Negeri Sembilan (-RM1.4 billion), Labuan (-RM1 billion), and Kelantan (-RM96 million).
On imports, Uzir said Malaysia recorded a 6 per cent increase to RM1.5 trillion in 2025, and Penang again led the increase in imports, rising by RM60.4 billion, followed by Kuala Lumpur (RM24.8 billion), Selangor (RM23.5 billion), Johor (RM6.5 billion), Perak (RM2.9 billion), Sabah (RM582.8 million), and Kelantan (RM112.7 million).
“Selangor continued to dominate Malaysia’s imports with a share of 26.3 per cent, followed by Penang with 24.4 per cent, Johor (22.3 per cent), Kuala Lumpur (8.9 per cent), and Kedah (4.9 per cent),” he said.
Imports were supported by electronic integrated circuits, particularly in Penang and Kedah, and other E&E products and refined petroleum products contributed to imports in Selangor and Johor, with piezo-electric crystals and parts among the key import products in Penang, Uzir added.
