Malaysia's trade surplus in February rose 21.5 percent year-on-year to RM7.12 billion, but fell 6.2 percent from January, the trade ministry said today.

The lower figure compared to a revised RM7.59 billion in January was due to slower exports in February attributed to less working days following festive holidays, it said in a statement announcing the preliminary figures.

February marked the country's 88th consecutive monthly trade surplus since November 1997.

The ministry said exports in February slumped 6.1 percent from January but rose 13.2 percent year-on-year to RM36.62 billion.

Imports also fell six percent month-on-month but were up 11.4 percent from a year earlier to RM29.5 billion.

"February 2005 exports recorded a higher growth year-on-year, when compared with the previous two months," the ministry said.

Exporting nations

It attributed the year-on-year increase to electrical and electronic products, liquefied natural gas, chemicals and chemical products, crude petroleum, machinery, appliances and parts, optical and scientific products, refined petroleum products and wood products.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the United States, the European Union, Japan, China and Hong Kong collectively accounted for 79.2 percent of Malaysia's total exports for February, it said.

For the first two months of the year, the ministry said total exports hit RM75.61 billion, up 12 percent from the corresponding period in 2004.

The trade surplus for the two-month period stood at RM14.7 billion.

Last year, Malaysia's total trade jumped 22.84 percent to hit a record RM880.37 billion, with the trade surplus at RM81.07 billion.