KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s trade with Asean saw an increase of 6.1% in 2024 compared to the previous year, surpassing RM765.03bil, the Dewan Rakyat was told. Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said this amount accounted for 29% of Malaysia’s total trade for that year, which stood at RM2.879tril. Johari was responding to Tan Kok Wai (PH-Cheras), who asked about the comparison of Malaysia’s trade with Asean and non-Asean nations. According to Johari, Malaysia’s trade structure remained heavily focused on Asean countries, which continue to be the nation’s largest export destination. Despite 98.6% of tariffs being eliminated among member states, Johari said intra-Asean trade still hovered around 21% to 22% of the region's total trade.

Source: The Star January 22, 2026 12:58 UTC