Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong
said recently that Malaysia’s natural rubber and rubber-based products were the ‘stars’ in 2017, with export up 30.2 % to RM32.3 billion.
He said the other commodities, such as palm oil, also performed reasonably well, increasing by 14.6 % to RM77.8 billion.
“The palm oil export has surpassed our initial target of RM70 billion last year and for 2018, we are confident of achieving over RM80 billion,” he told Bernama today.
The total export earnings of commodity products amounted to RM140.3 billion, or 15 % of Malaysia’s total merchandise export, 14.4 % higher than RM122.6 billion in 2016.
The commodity sector, he said, remained the largest net exporter and recorded a trade balance of RM100.8 billion compared with electrical and electronics (RM90.1 billion) and petroleum and gas (RM36 billion).
(RJA)
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