Malaysia reports strong trade growth and halal sector expansion

Malaysia is experiencing significant economic momentum in trade, investment, and the halal sector. Total trade reached RM2.51 trillion by August 2026, following a historic RM3.061 trillion in 2025. Approved investments for the first half of 2026 stood at RM218.46 billion, with the services sector and digital economy—specifically data centers and cloud services—driving much of this growth.

The halal industry is a major strategic focus, with Malaysia aiming for halal exports to reach RM80 billion by 2030. The Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2026 recorded RM5.2 billion in sales within its first two days. To support this, Malaysia is seeking to expand its halal market into pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and logistics, while pursuing closer certification recognition with Indonesia and establishing an ASEAN Halal Council.

International trade ties are also expanding through targeted initiatives. A Libya Pavilion at MIHAS 2026 aims to strengthen bilateral trade, which reached RM1.03 billion in 2025. Additionally, Malaysia is looking to deepen economic cooperation with Thailand, leveraging Thailand’s upstream rubber strength to complement Malaysia’s downstream capabilities to target US$30 billion in bilateral trade by 2027.