SABAH

TRADE SUMMARY

JANUARY – AUGUST 2003

 

1.            Balance of Trade

 

1.1       Sabah continued to enjoy a favourable trade balance with a surplus amounting to RM3,469.3 million during the first eight  months of 2003 as compared to RM2,002.2 million during the corresponding period last year, an increase of RM1,467.1 million or 73.3%. This was resulted from the substantial increase in exports of RM2,347.8 million vis-à-vis the lower increase in imports by RM880.8 million between the review periods. Significant increases were recorded in the exports of palm oil and crude petroleum.

 

2.           Exports

 

2.1       Export revenue valued at RM11,967.9 million during the first eight months of 2003 as compared to RM9,620.0 million for the corresponding period last year. The major export commodities during the current review period  were palm oil, crude petroleum, plywood, palm kernel oil, sawn timber, methanol, hot briquette iron and uncoated printing & writing paper which together amounted to RM9,409.1 million or 78.6% of total exports.

 

2.2       Palm oil retained its position as Sabah’s leading major export commodity with revenue valued at RM4,332.0 million and contributed to more than  one-third (36.2% or RM1,170.8 million) of the state’s total export earnings during the current review period. The higher receipt was jointly attributable to the better f.o.b. export price which escalated from RM1,233.1 per tonne to RM1,544.5 per tonne  coupled with the  9.4% increase in export volume from 2,563.7 thousand tonnes to 2,804.8 thousand tonnes. The People’s Republic of China (1,157.1 thousand tonnes), the Netherlands (463.8 thousand tonnes), India (327.7 thousand tonnes) and Pakistan (244.1 thousand tonnes) were the main buyers during the current review period.

 

 

2.3       Crude petroleum was the second important revenue earner recorded a 29.7% increase in receipt (+ RM623.4 million) from RM2,095.9 million to RM2,719.3 million during the two review periods. This increase was creditable to the increased f.o.b. export price from RM635.0 per tonne to RM816.5 per tonne. (+RM181.5 per tonne). The quantity exported stood at 3,330 thousand tonnes. India, the Republic of Indonesia and Peninsular Malaysia together acquired 82.5% of Sabah’s crude petroleum.

 

2.4       Revenue from plywood amounted to RM759.5 million as against RM740.3 million during the periods under review, an increase of RM19.3 million or 2.6%. The f.o.b export price rose from RM1,034.7 per cubic metre to RM1,051.8 per cubic metre while the volume exported rose by a marginal 0.9% to 722.1 thousand cubic metres. The main importers for Sabah’s plywood during the first eight months of 2003 were Japan (169.6 thousand cubic metres), the U.S.A (137.3 thousand cubic metres), the Republic of Korea (115.9 thousand cubic metres) and Peninsular Malaysia (102.2 thousand cubic metres).

 

 

 

3.           Imports

 

3.1       Sabah imports rose from RM7,617.9 million to RM8,498.6 million during the periods under comparison, an increase of RM880.8 million or 11.6% resulting from the increased imports on machinery & transport equipment (+ RM472.1 million), chemicals & related products (+ RM124.9 million) and  food (+RM93.2 million).

 

3.2       Machinery and transport equipment, tops the list of import items, valued at RM2,957.1 million or 34.8% of total imports. Road vehicles (RM1,153.9 million), general industrial machinery and equipment, n.e.s. and machine parts n.e.s. (RM482.7 million), machines for particular industries (RM402.2 million) and electrical machinery, apparatus & appliances, n.e.s. (RM266.8 million) were the main component items imported.

 

 

3.3       Imports of manufactured goods amounted to RM1,146.5 million or13.5% of total imports during the current review period. Iron and steel        (RM368.3 million), manufactures of metal n.e.s. (RM234.2 million), non-metallic mineral manufactures (RM171.5 million) and rubber manufactures (RM130.9 million) were the main constituent items imported.

 

3.4       Sabah’s   import bill on chemicals & related products amounted to RM1,027.5 million during the current review period which accounted for 12.1% of total imports. Manufactured fertilizers (RM350.8 million), chemicals & related products (RM147.6 million) and essential oils, resinoids & perfume materials, etc (RM142.6 million) were the major component item imported.

 

 4.    Direction of Trade

 

Sabah’s major trading partners during January-August 2003 were Peninsular Malaysia, the People’s Republic of China, ASEAN, India, the European Union, U.S.A., Japan, Sarawak, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan in that order of importance.

                 

 

 

Department of Statistics Malaysia,

(Sabah Branch), Kota Kinabalu

October 9, 2003.


 

SABAH

 

Table 1- EXPORTS OF MAJOR COMMODITIES

                               (RM MILLION)

 

 

Quantity

Value

 

Unit of

January-August

Changes    in

January-August

Changes in

Major Commodities

Quantity

2002

2003

Quantity

2002

2003

Value

1.  Palm Oil ( Crude & Processed)

Tonnes

2,563,689

2,804,825

241,136

3,161.2

4,332.0

1,170.8

2.  Petroleum (Crude)

‘000 Tonnes

3,301

3,330

29

2,095.9

2,719.3

623.4

3.  Plywood

Cu. Metres

715,450

722,131

6,681

740.3

759.5

19.3

4.  Palm Kernel Oil

Tonnes

267,913

283,779

15,866

331.3

445.5

114.2

5.  Sawn Timber ( Incl. conifer)

‘000 Cu. Metres

319

326

7

348.8

365.7

16.8

6.  Methanol

Tonnes

311,463

409,791

98,328

149.7

319.6

170.0

7.  Hot Briquetted Iron

Tonnes

500,619

572,045

71,426

208.9

302.1

108.4

8.  Uncoated Printing & Writing 

     Paper

Tonnes

98,837

71,279

-27,558

207.8

165.4

-42.4

9.  Prawns, fresh, frozen

Tonnes

6,136

5,558

-578

143.8

128.4

-15.4

10. Veneer Sheets

Cu. Metres

89,250

106,617

17,367

88.2

107.7

19.5

11.Cocoa Beans ( Raw & Roasted)

Tonnes

17,251

14,221

-3,030

82.7

91.7

9.1

12. Laminated Wood

Cu. Metres

80,987

77,427

-3,560

81.2

87.0

5.8

13. Rubber

Tonnes

18,113

22,610

4,497

45.0

72.7

27.7

14. Palm Kernel Cake

Tonnes

319,972

323,416

3,444

61.0

55.4

-5.6

15. Moulded Woods

Cu. Metres

20,830

15,324

-5,506

38.2

26.9

-11.3

Total Selected Major Exports

 

 

 

 

7,783.7

9,978.9

2,195.1

Other Exports

 

 

 

 

1,836.3

1,989.0

152.7

Total Exports

 

 

 

 

9,620.0

11,967.9

2,347.8

 

Notes: Figures may not add up to totals due to rounding.

 


 

SABAH

 

Table 2 - IMPORTS BY COMMODITY SECTIONS (RM MILLION)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                (RM Million)

 

January-August

 

 

S.I.T.C. Commodity Sections

2002

2003

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

883.8

11.6

977.1

11.5

93.2

10.5

1. Beverages & tobacco

261.7

3.4

304.2

3.6

42.5

16.2

2. Crude materials, inedible except fuels

259.0

3.4

288.9

3.4

29.9

11.5

3. Mineral fuels, lubricants & related

    materials

843.8

11.1

886.8

10.4

43.0

5.1

4. Animal & vegetable oils & fats

44.6

0.6

56.2

0.7

11.6

25.9

5. Chemicals & related products

902.6

11.8

1,027.5

12.1

124.9

13.8

6. Manufactured goods classified chiefly

    by materials

1,074.9

14.1

1,146.5

13.5

71.7

6.7

7. Machinery & transport equipment

2,485.0

32.6

2,957.1

34.8

472.1

19.0

8. Misc. manufactured articles

683.7

9.0

680.2

8.0

-3.4

-0.5

9. Misc. transactions & commodities

178.7

2.3

174.1

2.0

-4.6

-2.6

TOTAL IMPORTS

7,617.9

100.0

8,498.6

100.0

880.8

11.6

Note : Figures may not add up to totals due to rounding.


 

SABAH

 

TABLE 3 - DIRECTION OF TRADE

(RM MILLION)

 

Imports

Exports

 

January-August

January-August

Country/

2002

2003

2002

2003

Country Groupings

Value

% of total

Value

% of total

Value

% of total

Value

% of total

1.   Rest of Malaysia :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      - Peninsular Malaysia

4,407.3

57.9

4,807.9

56.6

1,557.9

16.2

1,693.1

14.1

      - Sarawak

222.3

2.9

158.7

1.9

759.7

7.9

594.4

5.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.   ASEAN :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      - Brunei Darussalam

1.0

x

3.6

x

76.9

0.8

103.6

0.9

      - Cambodia

1.3

x

4.6

0.1

-

-

0.2

x

      - Indonesia, Rep. Of

181.5

2.4

221.8

2.6

413.1

4.3

720.7

6.0

      - Laos, People’s Dem. Rep. of

-

-

+

x

5.3

0.1

-

-

      - Myanmar, Union of

3.8

x

10.1

0.1

0.5

x

2.8

x

      - Philippines

43.3

0.6

59.7

0.7

105.0

1.1

88.6

0.7

      - Singapore, Rep. Of

441.2

5.8

520.8

6.1

227.6

2.4

228.3

1.9

      - Thailand

101.4

1.3

99.0

1.2

102.7

1.1

167.3

1.4

      - Vietnam, Soc. Rep. Of

37.2

0.5

44.7

0.5

58.9

0.6

52.0

0.4

Total ASEAN

810.7

10.6

964.3

11.3

990.0

10.3

1,363.5

11.4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.   Japan

338.9

4.4

393.6

4.6

678.2

7.0

680.7

5.7

4.   China, People’s Rep. Of

271.0

3.6

383.7

4.5

1,310.0

13.6

2,158.6

18.0

5.   Taiwan

105.6

1.4

109.2

1.3

202.2

2.1

260.2

2.2

6.   Korea, Rep. of

41.2

0.5

72.6

0.9

864.7

9.0

517.5

4.3

7.   India

52.5

0.7

46.7

0.5

1,208.5

12.6

1,860.8

15.5

8.   European Union

343.4

4.5

331.3

3.9

812.1

8.4

1,184.5

9.9

9.   U.S.A.

587.5

7.7

725.4

8.5

322.0

3.3

408.2

3.4

10. Other Countries

437.5

5.7

505.3

5.9

914.9

9.5

1,246.4

10.4

Total

7,617.9

100.0

8,498.6

100.0

9,620.0

100.0

11,967.9

100.0

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