SABAH

TRADE SUMMARY

JANUARY – APRIL 2003

1. Balance of Trade

1.1 Sabah continued to enjoy a favourable trade balance with a swelling surplus amounting to RM1,831.6 million during the first four months of 2003 as compared to RM648.8 million during the corresponding period last year, an increase of RM1,182.8 million or 182.3%. This was attributed to the higher exports of RM1,526.1 million vis-à-vis the lower increase in imports by RM343.3 million between the review periods with significant increases in the exports of palm oil and crude petroleum.

2. Exports

2.1 Sabah achieved a 35.4% or RM1,526.1 million increase in the export revenue valued at RM5,837.2 million during January-April 2003 as against RM4,311.1 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 briquetted iron, and uncoated printing & writing paper which together add up to RM4,552.5 million or 78.0% of total exports.

2.2 Palm oil, Sabah’s topmost export commodity, generated revenue amounting to RM2,044.2 million which contributed to 35.1% of the State’s total export earnings during the first four months this year, an increase of RM743.3 million or 57.1% from RM1,300.9 million of the previous period. The higher receipt was jointly explained by the 39.4% increase in its f.o.b. export price which soared from RM1,131.4 per tonne to RM1,576.8 per tonne coupled with the higher volume exported by 146.5 thousand tonnes to 1,296.4 thousand tonnes. The People’s Republic of China (446.4 thousand tonnes), the Netherlands (238.3 thousand tonnes), India (162.8 thousand tonnes) and Pakistan (111.4 thousand tonnes) were the main buyers during the current review period.

2.3 Crude petroleum was the second important revenue earner and recorded expanded revenue of RM1,399.6 million as against RM910.4 million during the two review periods. This was mainly attributed to the higher f.o.b. export price from RM569.2 per tonne to RM877.2 per tonne (+RM308.0 per tonne). Exports volume, on the other hand, recorded a marginal 0.2% drop from 1,599 thousand tonnes to 1,596 thousand tonnes. India, the Republic of Indonesia and Peninsular Malaysia together acquired about 83.1% of Sabah’s crude petroleum.

2.4 Plywood generated revenue valued RM361.9 million as against RM326.7 million during the periods under review, an increase of RM35.2 million or 10.8%. The f.o.b. export price rose by RM111.6 per cubic metre to RM1,083.3 per cubic metre and the volume exported however lapsed by 0.6% to 334.0 thousand cubic metres. The main importers for Sabah’s plywood during the first four months of 2003 were Japan (72.2 thousand cubic metres), the U.S.A. (67.6 thousand cubic metres), the Republic of Korea (63.0 thousand cubic metres), and Peninsular Malaysia (54.2 thousand cubic metres).

3. Imports

3.1 Sabah’s imports’ expanded from RM3,662.4million to RM4,005.7 million during the periods under comparison, an increase of RM343.3 million or 9.4% resulting from the increased imports on machinery & transport equipment (+RM158.3 million), mineral fuels, lubricants & related materials (+RM91.6 million) and chemicals & related products (+RM45.4 million).

3.2 Machinery and transport equipment, Sabah’s primary import item, valued at RM1,387.8 million or 34.6% of total imports. Road vehicles (RM560.8 million), general industrial machinery and equipment, n.e.s and machine parts n.e.s. (RM195.6 million) and machines for particular industries (RM175.1 million) and power generating machinery & equipment. n.e.s. (RM147.9 million) were the main component items imported.

3.3 Imports of manufactured goods amounted to RM518.5 million or 12.9% of total imports during the current review period. Iron and steel (RM161.8 million), manufactures of metals n.e.s (RM110.6 million), non-metallic mineral manufactures (RM74.0 million) and rubber manufactures (RM62.5 million) were the main constituent items imported.

3.4 Sabah imported RM492.2 million worth of chemicals & related products during the current review period which accounted for 12.3% of total imports. Manufactured fertilizers were the major component item imported.

4. Direction of Trade

Sabah’s major trading partners during the first four months of 2003 were Peninsular Malaysia, ASEAN , the People’s Republic of China, 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

10 June 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-April		Changes in	January-April		Changes in
Major Commodities	Quantity	2002	2003	Quantity	2002	2003	Value
1. Palm Oil ( Crude & Processed)	Tonnes	1,149,833	1,296,367	146,534	1,300.9	2,044.2	743.3
2. Petroleum (Crude)	‘000Tonnes	1,599	1,596	-3	910.4	1,399.6	489.2
3. Plywood	Cu Metres	336,190	334,029	-2,161	326.7	361.9	35.2
4. Palm Kernel Oil	Tonnes	141,578	131,169	-10,409	160.0	220.2	60.2
5. Sawn Timber ( Incl. conifer)	‘000 Cu Metres	158	142	-16	169.1	161.6	-7.5
6. Prawns, fresh, frozen	Tonnes	3,560	2,998	-562	84.3	70.3	-14.1
7. Uncoated Printing & Writing Paper	Tonnes	45,947	32,667	-13,280	94.9	73.5	-21.4
8. Hot Briquetted Iron	Tonnes	219,387	275,431	56,044	85.5	138.6	53.1
9. Laminated Wood	Cu. Metres	42,418	36,137	-6,281	41.9	40.3	-1.6
10. Veneer Sheets	Cu. Metres	44,515	52,196	7,681	42.3	53.3	11.0
11. Palm Kernel Cake	Tonnes	163,265	169,202	5,937	30.5	30.2	-0.3
12. Cocoa Beans (Raw & Roasted)	Tonnes	7,685	8,297	612	35.0	55.5	20.5
13. Moulded Woods	Cu. Metres	11,317	8,070	-3,247	21.7	14.8	-6.9
14. Methanol	Tonnes	91,516	203,782	112,266	37.2	152.9	115.7
15. Rubber	Tonnes	9,140	11,595	2,455	20.1	37.7	17.6
Total Selected Major Exports					3,360.5	4,854.3	1,493.9
Other Exports					950.7	982.9	32.2
Total Exports					4,311.1	5,837.2	1,526.1

	January-April
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	428.1	11.7	471.2	11.8	43.2	10.1
1. Beverages & tobacco	119.9	3.3	151.1	3.8	31.2	26.0
2. Crude materials, inedible except fuels	93.7	2.6	128.1	3.2	34.4	36.7
3. Mineral fuels, lubricants & related materials	340.9	9.3	432.5	10.8	91.6	26.9
4. Animal & vegetable oils & fats	24.8	0.7	27.6	0.7	2.7	11.0
5. Chemicals & related products	446.8	12.2	492.2	12.3	45.4	10.2
6. Manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials	548.3	15.0	518.5	12.9	-29.8	-5.4
7. Machinery & transport equipment	1,229.4	33.6	1,387.8	34.6	158.3	12.9
8. Misc. manufactured articles	345.4	9.4	309.2	7.7	-36.2	-10.5
9. Misc. transactions & commodities	85.1	2.3	87.5	2.2	2.5	2.9
TOTAL IMPORTS	3,662.4	100.0	4,005.7	100.0	343.3	9.4

	Imports				Exports
	January-April				January-April
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	2,135.7	58.3	2,285.1	57.0	653.8	15.2	912.1	15.6
- Sarawak	108.0	2.9	87.3	2.2	474.8	11.0	295.8	5.1

2. ASEAN :
- Brunei Darussalam	0.9	x	1.2	x	27.7	0.6	55.9	1.0
- Cambodia	0.2	x	4.6	0.1	-	-	-	-
- Indonesia, Rep. Of	84.8	2.3	98.4	2.5	182.0	4.2	380.2	6.5
- Laos, People’s Dem. Rep. of	-	-	+	x	-	-	+	x
- Myanmar, Union of	0.7	x	3.6	0.1	0.3	x	2.8	x
- Philippines	12.8	0.3	31.6	0.8	53.9	1.3	47.2	0.8
- Singapore, Rep. Of	177.8	4.9	249.5	6.2	116.0	2.7	109.9	1.9
- Thailand	44.1	1.2	41.4	1.0	50.8	1.2	79.2	1.4
- Vietnam, Soc. Rep. Of	16.5	x	15.2	0.4	20.3	0.5	18.5	0.3
Total ASEAN	337.8	8.7	445.4	11.1	451.1	10.5	693.8	11.9

3. Japan	175.9	4.8	208.8	5.2	297.6	6.9	329.8	5.6
4. China, People’s Rep. Of	133.8	3.7	180.2	4.5	443.4	10.3	849.3	14.5
5. Taiwan	48.3	1.3	43.3	1.1	84.3	2.0	147.1	2.5
6. Korea, Rep. of	17.0	0.5	34.1	0.9	439.8	10.2	200.4	3.4
7. India	28.1	0.8	27.2	0.7	475.5	11.0	914.0	15.7
8. European Union	175.0	4.8	160.8	4.0	329.9	7.7	620.7	10.6
9. U.S.A.	294.0	8.0	306.7	7.7	140.9	3.3	236.5	4.1
10. Other Countries	208.7	5.7	226.7	5.7	520.2	12.1	637.8	10.9
Total	3,662.3	100.0	4,005.6	100.0	4,311.1	100.0	5,837.2	100.0

Table 1- EXPORTS OF MAJOR COMMODITIES

SABAH

Imports

January-April

Total ASEAN

Total