Malaysia’s March exports rise 8.3% on year, below forecast

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s exports rose 8.3% from a year earlier in March, slower than forecast, government data showed on Monday. March’s exports had been expected to grow 11.7%, according to economists polled by Reuters.

Imports in March expanded 10.4% from a year earlier, data from the trade ministry showed, below the poll’s estimate of a 12.5% increase.

Malaysia recorded a trade surplus of 24.6 billion ringgit ($6.23 billion) in March.

Analysts had expected a surplus of 25.1 billion ringgit.