External Trade

The general system of recording is adopted in compiling Malaysian external trade statistics. Under this system, the national boundary of the country is used as the statistical frontier. All goods entering or leaving the country (except specific exclusions mentioned in paragraph 11 below) are recorded, whether or not such goods are subject to clearance. Accordingly, goods entering or leaving customs bonded warehouses, Free Trade Zones and Free Zones are recorded in the statistics.

Details of commercial and private ships and aircraft are also included in these statistics if they were imported or exported as goods purchased, sold or leased (financial) whether or not they arrived or departed under their own power.

The sources of data are as below:

• Import and export declarations (hard/soft copy) approved by the Malaysian Royal Customs Department and Free Zone Authorities.
• Particulars on postal/courier packages are provided by the Malaysian Royal Customs Department, Pos Malaysia Bhd. and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd. (KTMB).
• Statements and export declarations on bunkers and stores supplied to ships and aircraft issued/approved by the Malaysian Royal Customs Department, Malaysian Airline System Berhad (MAS) and petroleum companies.
• Statements on goods sold are supplied by the operators of Duty Free Shops.
• Statements on the sale of electricity issued by `Power Producer Company’.

The publications can be accessed through the website of the Department of Statistics, Malaysia under the section : Home >> Publications >> Free Download.