KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s monthly export and import unit value indices continued to record positive growth in August 2021, at 1.4% and 0.9% month-on-month (m-o-m) respectively, the Statistics Department said.
Chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the export unit value index rose 1.4% in August 2021 compared with the previous month, contributed by the increases in the index of mineral fuels (5.3%), animal and vegetable oils and fats (1.4%), as well as machinery and transport equipment (0.6%).
“On the other hand, the export volume index recorded a decline of 3.2% in the same month, reflected by the decreases in the index of mineral fuels (-21.1%), animal and vegetable oils and fats (-17.4%), and machinery and transport equipment (-0.9%),” he said in an external trade indices report released today.
Uzir said the seasonally adjusted export volume index grew 5.1% from 137.0 points to 143.9 points.
“Compared to the previous year, the export unit value and volume index grew 16.2% and 1.9%, respectively,” he added.
Meanwhile, he said the import unit value index grew 0.9% in August compared with the previous month, driven by growth in the indices of mineral fuels (7.2%), animal and vegetable oils and fats (1.5%), and manufactured goods (0.3%).
“In contrast, the import volume index declined 12.0% in the same month compared with the preceding month, attributed to the deterioration in the index of mineral fuels (-35.7%), machinery and transport equipment (-6.2%), and manufactured goods (-3.3%),” he said.
Uzir said the seasonally adjusted import volume index in August posted a decrease of 11.0% from 154.1 points to 137.2 points.
“On a year-on-year basis, both the import unit value and volume indices expanded 6.4% and 5.7%, respectively,” he said.
The department also reported that Malaysia’s terms of trade increased by 0.6% m-o-m to 105.6 points in August.
On a year-on-year basis, Malaysia’s terms of trade performance remained positive at 9.2% from 96.7 points in August of the previous year. – Bernama, October 4, 2021
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