KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian rubber products industry expects highest annual trade surplus in 2019 on the back of global economic slowdown. Based on statistics from January to November last year, the industry recorded a trade surplus of RM14.3 billion. This was 1.1 per cent higher than the surplus recorded in the same period of 2018, the Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council (MREPC) said. MREPC said total exports of rubber products in the 11 months stood at RM21.2 billion, a decline of 2.1 per cent from RM21.6 billion in 2018. MREPC said on top of that, the unexpected surge in demand for rubber gloves due to the novel coronavirus outbreak would support the growth of the overall rubber products exports in 2020.

Source: New Strait Times February 10, 2020 08:37 UTC