So here’s a quite take on the China-Malaysia bilateral trade relationship in 2019. Official data was readily at hand for information 11 months of 2019.
The trade picture shows:
1) Malaysia closely involved with China’s supply-chain (high export and imports) for electrical machinery, optical & other equipment, machinery and appliances.
2) Mineral fuel & oils and plastics & articles are top import and export items.
3) Malaysia homegrown export items are palm oil (fats & oils; and also as soap-detergent intermediate products), rubber & articles (think of rubber gloves, rather important in the coronavirus outbreak), fish & crustacean; as well as various minerals like bauxite (including from Pahang).
4) 12% of Malaysia palm oil to China. 33% of fish & crustaceans and also 33% of the fruit segment (including durians) went to China.
5) As for Malaysia’s food imports from China, this amounted to USD1.45b or 12% of the total food import bill. The top 10 food & beverage related products from China were: vegetables, roots & tubers; fish & crustaceans; coffee, tea; fruit & nuts; fats & oils; misc. food preparations; veg, fruit & nut preparations; oil seeds; sugar & confectionery; and meat & fish preparations.
6) Broadly, Malaysia has higher reliance on China for more import items than it relies on China as an export market; the red line for % reliance on China on the upper exports chart is mostly lower than it is in the lower imports chart.
Correction: Bottom graphic updated for text on ratio of exports
