Penang, Johor and Selangor accounted for 80.5 per cent of Malaysia’s total trade in September 2026, according to DOSM, keeping the three states at the centre of the country’s export machine for another month.
Total trade for the month came to RM396.5 billion, made up of RM215.1 billion in exports and RM181.4 billion in imports, the department’s state trade report released on 28 October showed.
Penang held its place as the largest exporting state with 52.6 per cent of national exports. Johor followed at 17.5 per cent, Selangor at 11.7 per cent, Sarawak at 5.3 per cent and Kuala Lumpur at 3.3 per cent.
Penang also took the largest share of imports at 35.3 per cent, ahead of Johor at 24.2 per cent, Selangor at 19.5 per cent, Kuala Lumpur at 6.8 per cent and Kedah at 4.3 per cent.
Exports rose RM75.9 billion, or 54.5 per cent, against September 2025, and Penang supplied most of that gain with an increase of RM55.5 billion, the NST reported. Johor added RM10.2 billion, Selangor RM4.1 billion, Sarawak RM3.5 billion and Kuala Lumpur RM2.1 billion.
The national surplus came in at RM33.72 billion for the month, The Star noted, the 77th straight month of surplus since May 2020. Exports crossed RM200 billion in a single month for the first time and grew at their fastest pace since April 2021.
Six other states also posted higher exports: Negeri Sembilan, Perak, Pahang, Labuan, Kedah and Kelantan. Four recorded declines, led by Sabah at RM459.1 million, followed by Terengganu at RM383.3 million, Melaka at RM91.7 million and Perlis at RM20.1 million.
Imports climbed RM62.6 billion, or 52.7 per cent, year on year. Penang again recorded the biggest increase at RM37.2 billion, with Johor up RM15.2 billion, Selangor up RM5.6 billion and Kedah up RM2.1 billion. Perlis was the only state whose imports fell, by RM53.1 million.
The three states have held the same position for months. The department’s August report put Penang, Johor and Selangor at 80.4 per cent of total trade, when the monthly total stood at RM354 billion.
For the first nine months of 2026, total trade rose 30.1 per cent to RM2.91 trillion, with exports up 34 per cent to RM1.57 trillion and imports up 25.7 per cent to RM1.34 trillion. The trade surplus for the period reached RM232.38 billion, more than double the figure a year earlier.
Shipments to Asean rose 46.2 per cent to a record RM59.55 billion. Exports to the United States climbed 89.9 per cent to RM38.03 billion, while exports to Taiwan more than doubled to RM21.45 billion.
The Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry expects total trade to grow 27.2 per cent in 2026, with exports up 31 per cent and imports up 23.1 per cent, based on the Finance Ministry’s Economic Outlook 2027.
