SABAH TRADE SUMMARY

JANUARY – NOVEMBER 2002

1. Balance of Trade

1.1 Sabah recorded a trade surplus of RM3,097.5 million in the first eleven months of 2002, an increase of RM2,049.2 million or 195.5% over the RM1,048.4 million in the same period last year. This was due to the higher growth in exports by 20.9% as against the 3.5% in the case of imports.

2. Exports

2.1 Sabah’s total exports for January-November, 2002 amounted to RM13,947.7 million, an increase of RM2,413.6 million over the RM11,534.1 million in the previous corresponding period. The rise was mainly due to the higher receipts from palm oil by RM1,816.8 million. Palm oil, crude petroleum, plywood, sawn timber, palm kernel oil, uncoated printing and writing paper and hot briquetted iron together accounted for RM10,302.7 million or 73.9% of total exports.

2.2 Palm oil retained its position as Sabah’s major export commodity bringing in RM4,786.6 million or 34.3% of the state’s total exports during the first eleven months of 2002, an increase of RM1,816.8 million over the RM2,969.8 million recorded in the same period last year. The higher receipts were from better f.o.b. export price of RM1,298.2 per tonne (+ RM437.6 or 50.8%) from RM860.6 per tonne, coupled with the increase in volume exported from 3,450.8 thousand tonnes to 3,687.0 thousand tonnes (+236.3 thousand tonnes). The main importers of Sabah’s palm oil were the People’s Republic of China (1,282.7 thousand tonnes), Netherlands (549.0 thousand tonnes), India (519.5 thousand tonnes) and Pakistan (367.0 thousand tonnes).

2.3 Revenue from crude petroleum decreased by RM201.9 million or 6.5% from RM3,092.1 million to RM2,890.2 million between the two review periods. This was attributed to the lower f.o.b export price from RM735.8 per tonne to RM664.6 per tonne despite the increase in export volume from 4,202 thousand tonnes to 4,349 thousand tonnes (+147 thousand tonnes). About 95.1% of Sabah’s crude petroleum was exported to India, the Republic of Korea, Peninsular Malaysia and the Republic of Indonesia.

2.4 Plywood the third export revenue earner registered a higher receipts of RM1,079.4 million in January-November, 2002 as against RM1,045.3 million in the same period last year. This was due to the increase in f.o.b export price by RM42.1 per cubic metre to RM1,083.3 per cubic metre. However, the volume exported was down by 7,488 cubic metres. Japan (253.8 thousand cubic metres), the U.S.A (207.8 thousand cubic metres) and the Republic of Korea (164.0 thousand cubic metres) were the main buyers of Sabah’s plywood.

3. Imports

3.1 Sabah imported goods worth RM10,850.1 million, in the first eleven months of 2002, an increase of RM364.4 million or 3.5% over the corresponding period of 2001. Machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods and food together accounted for 59.2% or RM6,416.4 million of total imports.

3.2 Machinery and transport equipment tops the list of Sabah’s imports with a value of RM3,624.5 million during January-November 2002. These consist mainly of road vehicles (RM1,348.9 million), machinery for particular industries (RM545.1 million), general industrial machinery and equipment (RM522.3 million) and electrical machinery and appliances n.e.s (RM379.4 million)

3.3 Imports of manufactured goods contributed to 14.5% or RM1,570.4 million of total imports. Iron and steel (RM512.9 million), manufactured of metal n.e.s (RM361.2 million), non-metallic mineral manufactures n.e.s (RM195.0 million) and rubber manufactures n.es. (RM180.7 million) were the component items imported.

3.4 Sabah imported a total of RM1,221.5 million of food during January- November, 2002. Cereals and cereals preparations (RM354.5 million), miscellaneous edible products and preparations (RM215.3 million) and vegetables and fruits (RM117.8 million) were the main food items imported.

4. Direction of Trade

Sabah’s major trading partners during the first eleven months of 2002 were Peninsular Malaysia, ASEAN, the People’s Republic of China, India, the European Union, Japan, Sarawak, the U.S.A, the Republic of Korea, and Taiwan in that order of importance.

Department of Statistics Malaysia,

(Sabah Branch),

Kota Kinabalu

11 January 2003.

Note: Figures may not add up to totals due to rounding. x - Less than 0.05% + - Less than RM0.05 Million

		Quantity			Value
	Unit of	January-November		Changes in	January-November		Changes in
Major Commodities	Quantity	2001	2002	Quantity	2001	2002	Value
1. Palm Oil ( Crude & Processed)	Tonnes	3,450,757	3,687,019	236,262	2,969.8	4,786.6	1,816.8
2. Petroleum (Crude)	‘000Tonnes	4,202	4,349	147	3,092.1	2,890.2	-201.9
3. Plywood	Cu Metres	1,003,922	996,434	-7,488	1,045.3	1,079.4	34.1
4. Sawn Timber ( Incl. conifer)	‘000 Cu Metres	519	457	-62	581.4	505.4	-76.0
5. Palm Kernel Oil	‘Tonnes	340,825	365,108	24,283	345.3	474.3	128.9
6. Hot Briquetted Iron	Tonnes	671,085	663,418	-7,667	263.3	283.8	20.5
7. Uncoated Printing & Writing Paper	Tonnes	103,283	131,634	28,351	235.5	283.0	47.5
8 Methanol	Tonnes	522,147	456,219	-65,928	285.9	236.2	-49.7
9. Prawns, fresh, frozen	Tonnes	7,411	8,245	834	203.2	203.0	-0.2
10. Veneer Sheets	Cu. Metres	136,363	140,566	4,203	133.3	142.8	9.5
11. Cocoa Beans ( Raw & Roasted)	Tonnes	30,028	22,580	-7,448	105.0	116.1	11.2
12. Laminated Wood	Cu. Metres	130,455	112,537	-17,918	142.3	116.0	-26.3
13. Palm Kernel Cake	Tonnes	469,474	385,293	-84,181	62.8	73.1	10.4
14. Rubber	Tonnes	19,904	24,579	4,675	44.1	65.1	21.0
15. Moulded Woods	Cu. Metres	29,811	27,682	-2,129	53.7	49.8	-3.9
Total Selected Major Exports					9,563.1	11,305.0	1,741.9
Other Exports					1,971.0	2,642.7	671.7
Total Exports					11,534.1	13,947.7	2,413.6

	January-November
S.I.T.C. Commodity Sections	2001		2002		Changes in	% Change Over
	Value	% of total	Value	% of total	Value	Corresponding Year
	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)=(3)-(1)	(6)=(5)/(1)x100
0. Food	1,263.3	12.0	1,221.5	11.3	-41.9	-3.3
1. Beverages & tobacco	381.9	3.6	358.2	3.3	-23.7	-6.2
2. Crude materials, inedible except fuels	407.6	3.9	364.1	3.4	-43.5	-10.7
3. Mineral fuels, lubricants & related materials	1,438.0	13.7	1,114.3	10.3	-323.7	-22.5
4. Animal & vegetable oils & fats	74.0	0.7	64.1	0.6	-9.9	-13.4
5. Chemicals & related products	1,091.1	10.4	1,218.3	11.2	127.1	11.7
6. Manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials	1,530.9	14.6	1,570.4	14.5	39.5	2.6
7. Machinery & transport equipment	3,229.4	30.8	3,624.5	33.4	395.1	12.2
8. Misc. manufactured articles	872.6	8.3	1,060.8	9.8	188.2	21.6
9. Misc. transactions & commodities	196.8	1.9	253.9	2.3	57.1	29.0
TOTAL IMPORTS	10,485.7	100.0	10,850.1	100.0	364.4	3.5

	Imports				Exports
	January-November				January-November
Country/	2001		2002		2001		2002
Country Groupings	Value	% of total	Value	% of total	Value	% of total	Value	% of total
1. Rest of Malaysia :
- Peninsular Malaysia	6,050.8	57.7	6,299.3	58.1	1,864.2	16.2	2,141.3	15.4
- Sarawak	563.9	5.4	294.8	2.7	775.3	6.7	1,075.9	7.7

2. ASEAN :
- Brunei Darussalam	1.4	x	1.8	x	81.1	0.7	122.3	0.9
- Cambodia	6.7	0.1	2.7	x	0.6	x	0.7	x
- Indonesia, Rep. Of	281.8	2.7	242.3	2.2	266.4	2.3	578.6	4.1
- Laos, People’s Dem. Rep. of	-	-	-	-	+	x	5.3	x
- Myanmar, Union of	6.4	0.1	5.3	0.0	2.3	x	0.7	x
- Philippines	53.3	0.5	69.2	0.6	158.7	1.4	140.5	1.0
- Singapore, Rep. Of	593.1	5.7	570.8	5.3	246.0	2.1	327.8	2.4
- Thailand	127.0	1.2	135.5	1.2	243.3	2.1	154.5	1.1
- Vietnam, Soc. Rep. Of	68.3	0.7	54.9	0.5	74.7	0.6	82.4	0.6
Total ASEAN	1,138.0	10.9	1,082.5	10.0	1,073.1	9.3	1,412.7	10.1

3. Japan	501.5	4.8	505.8	4.7	1,013.9	8.8	1,017.8	7.3
4. China, People’s Rep. Of	284.8	2.7	396.6	3.7	886.0	7.7	2,042.3	14.6
5. Taiwan	162.2	1.5	171.3	1.6	265.1	2.3	280.5	2.0
6. Korea, Rep. of	55.3	0.5	62.5	0.6	1,349.4	11.7	1,139.9	8.2
7. India	68.4	0.7	68.0	0.6	1,281.1	11.1	1,776.8	12.7
8. European Union	393.8	3.8	452.2	4.2	889.8	7.7	1,254.3	9.0
9. U.S.A.	648.8	6.2	903.6	8.3	487.8	4.2	466.2	3.3
10. Other Countries	618.3	5.9	613.7	5.7	1,648.3	14.3	1,339.8	9.6
Total	10,485.7	100.0	10,850.1	100.0	11,534.1	100.0	13,947.7	100.0

Table 1- EXPORTS OF MAJOR COMMODITIES

SABAH

Imports

January-November

Total ASEAN

Total