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Trade between China and Malaysia

In 2024, China exported $70 billion to Malaysia and imported $87.3 billion. China ran a deficit of $17.3 billion with Malaysia, compared with a deficit of $13.5 billion in 2019. Malaysia was China’s 11th largest trading partner (3% of its trade), and China was Malaysia’s largest (22%).

Summary

China → Malaysia
$70billion
Malaysia → China
$87.3billion
China’s balance
-$17.3billion

Balance

China’s trade balance with Malaysia

Trade between China and Malaysia grew 36-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). China’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 70
  • Imports 87.3
  • Balance -17.3

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$1.8 billion$2.6 billion-$804 million
1996$1.9 billion$2.4 billion-$481 million
1997$2.5 billion$2.5 billion-$65 million
1998$2.1 billion$2.7 billion-$608 million
1999$2.3 billion$3.3 billion-$1 billion
2000$3.4 billion$4.8 billion-$1.4 billion
2001$3.9 billion$5.7 billion-$1.8 billion
2002$6.4 billion$7.8 billion-$1.4 billion
2003$7.2 billion$12.5 billion-$5.3 billion
2004$10.5 billion$13.2 billion-$2.7 billion
2005$13.3 billion$17.2 billion-$4 billion
2006$15.3 billion$16 billion-$662 million
2007$19.2 billion$25.5 billion-$6.4 billion
2008$20.6 billion$27.7 billion-$7.1 billion
2009$18.5 billion$29 billion-$10.5 billion
2010$22.8 billion$45.4 billion-$22.6 billion
2011$27.1 billion$52.9 billion-$25.8 billion
2012$32.8 billion$33 billion-$260 million
2013$38 billion$50.3 billion-$12.3 billion
2014$38.5 billion$46.7 billion-$8.2 billion
2015$36.9 billion$45.1 billion-$8.2 billion
2016$35.7 billion$42.4 billion-$6.7 billion
2017$40.8 billion$46.6 billion-$5.8 billion
2018$46 billion$54.1 billion-$8.1 billion
2019$45.4 billion$58.9 billion-$13.5 billion
2020$44 billion$60 billion-$16 billion
2021$57.6 billion$74.2 billion-$16.6 billion
2022$65.1 billion$80.9 billion-$15.7 billion
2023$61.4 billion$80.3 billion-$19 billion
2024$70 billion$87.3 billion-$17.3 billion

What they sell each other

What China sells to Malaysia

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Microchips$8.6 billion · 12.2%
    4 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  2. Computers$3.1 billion · 4.4%
    11 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  3. Cameras and broadcast equipment$3.1 billion · 4.4%
    10 thousand tonnes
  4. Refined petroleum$2.5 billion · 3.6%
    2.9 million tonnes · China’s destinations
  5. Computer and office machine parts$1.5 billion · 2.2%
    37 thousand tonnes
  6. Transformers and power supplies$1.2 billion · 1.7%
    82 thousand tonnes
  7. Printed circuit boards$1.2 billion · 1.7%
    8 thousand tonnes
  8. Phones and telecom equipment$1.1 billion · 1.6%
    15 thousand tonnes
  9. Auto parts$1 billion · 1.4%
    150 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  10. Other industrial machines$982 million · 1.4%
    62 thousand tonnes

What Malaysia sells to China

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Crude petroleum$25.6 billion · 29.3%
    41.5 million tonnes · Malaysia’s destinations
  2. Microchips$18.7 billion · 21.5%
    7 thousand tonnes · Malaysia’s destinations
  3. Refined petroleum$6.9 billion · 7.9%
    8.3 million tonnes · Malaysia’s destinations
  4. Natural gas and LPG$3.9 billion · 4.5%
    8.1 million tonnes
  5. Diodes, transistors and solar cells$2.2 billion · 2.6%
    13 thousand tonnes
  6. Computer and office machine parts$1.9 billion · 2.2%
    5 thousand tonnes
  7. Computers$1.7 billion · 1.9%
    1 thousand tonnes · Malaysia’s destinations
  8. Other industrial machines$1.5 billion · 1.7%
    5 thousand tonnes
  9. Unwrought aluminum$1.4 billion · 1.6%
    640 thousand tonnes · Malaysia’s destinations
  10. Palm oil$1.1 billion · 1.2%
    1.1 million tonnes · Malaysia’s destinations

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Shanghai to Port Klang.

The estimated sea route between Shanghai and Port Klang is 2,446 nautical miles (4,530 km) long: ≈ 5.5–7.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Passages it crosses: Strait of Malacca and Singapore.

Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.

Split by transport mode

  1. Sea$102.4 billion · 65.1%
  2. Air$54.9 billion · 34.9%

Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.

How much each matters to the other

Malaysia was China’s 11th largest trading partner (3% of its trade), and China was Malaysia’s largest (22%).

Malaysia in China’s trade
2.7%
Malaysia’s rank among China’s partners
11th
China in Malaysia’s trade
22.2%
China’s rank among Malaysia’s partners
1st

Compare with

Other partners of China

Other partners of Malaysia

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.