Malaysia's trade surplus in January fell 43 percent to RM6.61 billion from RM11.58 billion in December, the government said today.

However, exports for January were 8.9 percent higher compared to a year earlier, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) said in a statement.

Malaysia also recorded the highest ever export value for the month of January at RM46.99 billion, although this was 10.5 percent lower than December.

Seasonal trends

The fall was attributed to "seasonal and regional trends of lower exports," the ministry said, adding that the outcome for January was the 111th consecutive surplus since November 1997.

Electrical and electronic products, palm oil, crude petroleum, machinery and wood products were among exports that were lower in January compared to December.

Increases were recorded in chemical products and liquified natural gas.

Major export destinations included Southeast Asian countries, the United States, the European Union, Japan, China and Hong Kong, which collectively accounted for some 78.6 percent of total January exports.