KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s exports likely expanded in February at the fastest pace for any month in nearly three years, a Reuters poll showed. The median forecast from 10 economists was for exports to rise 17.9 percent from a year earlier, which would be the highest growth since April 2014, when they expanded 18.6 percent. Individual poll estimates ranged between 13.4 and 21 percent. Assuming shipments did grow from a year earlier, February would be the fourth consecutive month of expansion.
Economists say they expect a surge partly due to stronger demand for Malaysia’s manufactured goods and commodities, including crude oil and liquefied natural gas, and partly because of a low base. In 2016, the Lunar New Year holiday was in February while this year, it began in late January. In January, exports rose 13.6 percent. [nL3N1GG1PR] Malaysia’s annual import growth in February was seen at 21.7 percent, which would be the fastest since June 2010’s 29.9 percent. Imports rose 16.1 percent in January. February’s trade surplus is forecast to widen to 6.1 billion ringgit ($1.38 billion), from January’s 4.7 billion ringgit.
