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KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysia's exports, the mainstay of the economy, rose at 18.7 percent year-on-year in December, according to official data released Friday in signs of an economic recovery.
The trade ministry said in a statement that exports rebounded to 54.67 billion ringgit (15.89 billion dollars) while imports rose 3.4 percent compared to a year ago to 42.58 billion ringgit, with a surplus of 12.1 billion ringgit.
Exports in December registered an expansion of 9.2 percent compared with November.
"(December) was the highest monthly exports for 2009," the ministry said, as the figures were helped by increase in the electrical and electronic products.
Electrical and electronic items account for 41.5 percent of Malaysia's total exports to key markets like China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and the United States.
Malaysia's export-dependent economy has been hit hard by the global recession, as the government forecasts it will shrink 3.0 percent in 2009 after suffering three consecutive quarters of contraction last year.
A leading think tank however said recently that Malaysia, Southeast Asia's third-largest economy, likely emerged from recession in the fourth quarter and will post 3.7 percent growth in 2010 as the global economy recovers.
- AFP /ls
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