Malaysia's exports surged 25.4 percent in July from a year ago, boosted by high commodity prices and growth in the electronics sector, according to official data released Thursday.

Exports reached RM63.36 billion and imports increased by 14.8 percent to RM48.85 billion, while total trade expanded by 20.6 percent to RM112.2 billion, the statistics department said.

All product sectors registered increases from a year ago.

"Major product sectors which contributed to the increase in exports were electrical and electronics, palm oil, crude petroleum as well as chemicals and chemical products," it said.

July's trade surplus stood at RM14.51 billion.

Electrical and electronics products made up 38.6 percent of total exports, expanding by 12.9 percent from last year to RM24.5 billion.

The department said that Singapore, the United States, China, Japan and Thailand were the country's top five export destinations, accounting for 51.7 percent of total exports in July.

Export to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or Asean accounted for RM16.09 billion or 25.4 percent of July's export, a 24.9 percent increase from July 2007.

-AFP