CHINA-MALAYSIA trade in the first ten months of the year grew by 1.2 per cent year on year to reach MYR191.65 billion (US$42.798 billion), according to data from the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade).

Over the period under review, exports declined by 7.2 per cent year on year to MYR77.40 billion, while imports increased by 7.9 per cent to MYR114.25 billion, reported Borneo Post Online.

"Electrical and electronics products contributed 42.7 per cent to the total exports, worth MYR43.22 billion, followed by chemicals and chemical products (10.4 per cent), petroleum products (10.2 per cent), palm oil and palm-based products (six per cent) and manufactures of metal (4.5 per cent)," Matrade was cited as saying.

In the first 10 months of the year, the trade deficit widened to MYR36.84 billion, up from MYR22.51 billion in the same period last year.

International Trade and Industry (MITI) Deputy Minister Datuk Chua Tee Yong attributed the lower export growth to the fall in commodity prices.

"The weakening commodity prices, including oil and gas prices, have posted a challenge to the trade," he told a press conference on the sidelines of the China-Asean Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Trade Promotion Platform (CASTPP).

However, he believed the recent official visit by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to China would help to balance bilateral trade as palm oil prices have shown signs of improvement following the state visit.