Malaysia's services trade hits RM497.4b in 2024, deficit shrinks sharply on export surge
KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — Malaysia's total trade in services rose by 14.6 per cent to RM497.4 billion last year from RM434.0 billion in 2023, contributing 25.8 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP) at current prices.
In a statement today, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said exports of services grew by 24.6 per cent to RM242.9 billion from RM195.0 billion in the previous year.
Similarly, imports of services increased by 6.5 per cent to RM254.5 billion against RM239.0 billion in 2023.
'As services exports grew faster than imports, the deficit narrowed substantially from RM44.0 billion to RM11.7 billion,' it added.
DOSM said that Asia continued to be the main destination for Malaysia's services exports, constituting RM164.0 billion or 67.5 per cent of total services.
Singapore, the United States (US) and China were the three main destinations for Malaysia's services exports.
The agency said that Asia also remained the major source of imports with a share of 58.6 per cent or RM149.0 billion.
The main sources of services imports were from the US, Singapore and China. — Bernama
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Borneo Post
19 minutes ago
- Borneo Post
Malaysia, Russia explore new cooperation opportunities including energy sector
Fadillah and Overchuk exchange greetings in Moscow. – Bernama photo MOSCOW (June 25): Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof today began his official working visit in the Russian capital with a bilateral meeting with his counterpart Alexei Overchuk. Fadillah, who is also the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, was accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin, and Malaysia's Ambassador to Russia Datuk Cheong Loon Lai. The bilateral meeting, held at the White House Moscow, discussed among other things the existing bilateral trade as well as exploring new cooperation opportunities, particularly in the energy sector, technology transfer, education, and training. The bilateral meeting will also be attended by Russia's Deputy Minister of Energy, Evgeny Petrovich Grabchak, and Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Vladimir Ilichev. Fadillah's working visit to Russia is a continuation of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's official visit to Russia on May 13-16 this year, aimed at deepening, enhancing, exploring new cooperation between the two countries. Diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Russia have been established since 1967. In 2024, Russia is Malaysia's ninth largest trading partner among European countries, with trade value reaching RM11.46 billion (US$2.48 billion). Malaysia's main exports to Russia include electrical and electronics products, machinery, equipment and spare parts, as well as processed food. – Bernama bilateral meeting economy energy fadillah yusof Russia

Malay Mail
38 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
China's oil lifeline: How Iranian crude fuels the world's top importer
SINGAPORE, June 25 — China is the main buyer of oil from Iran, which accounts for roughly 13.6 per cent of purchases this year by the world's largest crude importer, leaving Beijing uniquely exposed to any supply disruption from conflict in the Middle East. Beijing, which is also the biggest buyer of oil from Venezuela and a top importer of oil from Russia, has used purchases from the three countries facing various Western sanctions to save billions of dollars on its import bill in recent years. How much Iranian oil does China buy? China buys roughly 90 per cent of Iran's shipped oil, which has limited buyers due to US sanctions aimed at cutting off funding to Tehran's nuclear programme. In the first six months of this year, China purchased an average of 1.38 million barrels per day of Iranian oil, according to Kpler data. Last year, China's Iran purchases averaged 1.48 million bpd, or about 14.6 per cent of China's imports, according to Kpler. A huge tanker sails past Khasab, on northern Oman's Musandam Peninsula, in the Strait of Hormuz June 24, 2025. — AFP pic Who are the main Chinese buyers of Iranian crude? Chinese independent refiners known as teapots, clustered mainly in Shandong province, are the main buyers of Iranian crude, drawn by its discount to non-sanctioned barrels. Teapots, which account for roughly one-quarter of Chinese refinery capacity, operate on narrow and sometimes negative margins and have been squeezed recently by tepid domestic demand for refined products. China's big state oil companies have refrained from buying Iranian oil since 2018/2019, traders and experts have said. How much cheaper is Iranian oil? Iranian light crude traded at US$3.30-US$3.50 (RM13.98-RM14.83) a barrel below ICE Brent for July deliveries, Reuters reported on Friday, compared to discounts of around US$2.50 for June, three traders said, as teapots slowed buying and sellers looked to cut inventories. Compared to non-sanctioned oil from the Middle East, Iranian oil currently trades at a roughly US$7-8 per barrel discount, according to traders. Are US sanctions having an impact? Washington reinstated sanctions on Tehran in 2018, and President Donald Trump's administration has imposed several new rounds of sanctions on Iran's oil trade since taking office in January. Trump's sanctions have included penalties on three Chinese teapots, which has led to curtailed buying from several mid-sized independents worried about being designated, Reuters reported. One trader estimated that non-sanctioned oil has replaced about 100,000 bpd of Iranian oil to China this year. What is Beijing's stance on the Iran oil trade? Beijing rejects unilateral sanctions and defends its trade with Iran as legitimate. Iranian oil imported by China is typically labelled by traders as originating from other countries, such as Malaysia, a major transshipment hub. Chinese customs data has not shown any oil shipped from Iran since July 2022. — Reuters

Barnama
2 hours ago
- Barnama
Kota Madani Development In Precinct 19 Can Overcome Shortage Of Govt Quarters
By Thivyamalini Ramalu PUTRAJAYA, June 25 (Bernama) -- Calls to increase the number of government quarters in Putrajaya over the past 25 years are set to be finally answered through the development of Kota MADANI in Precinct 19 here, said Putrajaya Corporation (PPj) president Datuk Fadlun Mak Ujud. Speaking to Bernama and RTM here today, he said government quarters are still in high demand, particularly from support groups who have been renting houses quite far from their workplaces. "Under the original master plan in 1998, we did plan for these residences. Based on the demand for quarters that we have received so far, we now have 17,000 applicants from various categories. "As far as I can recall, requests to build more quarters have been made since 2000. Finally, this year, we can implement the development of these quarters,' he said. Spanning 41.28 hectares, Kota MADANI is set to feature 10,000 high-density vertical residential units capable of accommodating over 3,000 residents. Its design will integrate artificial intelligence technology, efficient digital infrastructure and a green mobility system. Commenting on the assumptions of certain parties that the project used public funds, Fadlun stressed that the project is being developed through a public-private collaboration by Putrajaya Holdings using the Build-Lease-Maintain-Transfer (BLMT) concept. "… and this can reduce the actual costs because the government does not come out with any funding, and it is all borne by the developers. The only thing is that the repayment period will be determined by the Public Private Partnership Unit (UKAS),' he said. The development of Kota MADANI in Precinct 19 will be implemented in stages, with the first phase set to commence in the third quarter of this year, and the development is estimated to cost RM4 billion.