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Penang, Johor and Selangor together accounted for 80.4 per cent of Malaysia’s total trade in August 2026, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
Total trade came to RM354 billion, according to DOSM’s Export and Import Statistics by State report for August, released on 28 September.
Exports rose 45.5 per cent year-on-year to RM191 billion, while imports rose 41.1 per cent to RM163 billion.
Penang accounted for 51.1 per cent of Malaysia’s exports, up from 48.4 per cent in July.
Johor followed with 17.5 per cent and Selangor with 13.4 per cent. Sarawak contributed 5.4 per cent and Kuala Lumpur 3.2 per cent.
Penang also led imports at 32.9 per cent. Johor had 24.5 per cent, Selangor 21.2 per cent, Kuala Lumpur 6.9 per cent and Kedah 4.4 per cent.
Penang Drives The Increase
Of Malaysia’s RM59.7 billion year-on-year export growth, Penang accounted for RM49.2 billion – more than four-fifths of the national increase.
Johor’s exports rose by RM6.2 billion, Selangor’s by RM3.0 billion and Sarawak’s by RM2.2 billion. Perak, Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang also recorded higher exports.
Sabah recorded the largest fall in exports at RM974.1 million. Terengganu, Labuan, Kedah, Melaka, Kelantan and Perlis also saw declines.
Imports grew by RM47.5 billion. Penang’s imports rose by RM24.7 billion, Johor’s by RM14.5 billion and Selangor’s by RM3.1 billion.
Kuala Lumpur, Kedah and Negeri Sembilan also recorded higher imports. Melaka recorded the largest fall at RM825.2 million.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow is leading an investment and trade mission to the United States from 28 September to 5 October, according to the Chief Minister’s Office.
The mission, organised by InvestPenang, will include meetings with the US headquarters of American companies operating in Penang, with the aim of encouraging expansion and attracting new investments, particularly in semiconductors.
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