Malaysia
↔
Japan

Malaysia-Japan Bilateral Trade Analysis 2023

Complete trade statistics: $32.77B total volume •Malaysia surplus: $5.01B

Malaysia → Japan

$18.89B

Exports (2023)

Japan → Malaysia

$13.88B

Imports (2023)

Trade Balance

$5.01B

Surplus for Malaysia

Total Trade

$32.77B

Combined Volume

Trade Flow Visualization

Direct trade relationship between Malaysia and Japan. Green line shows exports from Malaysia, red line shows imports.

Detailed Product Trade Analysis

Comprehensive breakdown of trade flows by product category, revealing the specialized nature of the Malaysia-Japan commercial relationship and competitive positioning in global markets.

Malaysia → Japan Exports

$18.89B
2023 Total

Export Market Intelligence

Product Diversity:
Highly Diversified
Market Share:
34.5% top product
1Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons: liquefied, natural gas
$6.52B
34.5% of exports
2Electronic integrated circuits: n.e.c. in heading no. 8542
$720.27M
3.8% of exports
3Vegetable oils: palm oil and its fractions, other than crude, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified
$566.76M
3.0% of exports
4Electronic integrated circuits: processors and controllers, whether or not combined with memories, converters, logic circuits, amplifiers, clock and timing circuits, or other circuits
$551.60M
2.9% of exports
5Communication apparatus (excluding telephone sets or base stations): machines for the reception, conversion and transmission or regeneration of voice, images or other data, including switching and routing apparatus
$369.18M
2.0% of exports
6Reception apparatus for television, whether or not incorporating radio-broadcast receivers or sound or video recording or reproducing apparatus: incorporating a colour video display or screen
$336.79M
1.8% of exports
7Plywood: consisting only of sheets of wood (not bamboo), each ply 6mm or thinner, with at least one outer ply of tropical wood
$310.30M
1.6% of exports
8Radio navigational aid apparatus
$272.60M
1.4% of exports
9Instruments, apparatus for measuring, checking electrical quantities, not meters of heading no. 9028: parts and accessories, for measuring or detecting alpha, beta, gamma, x-ray, cosmic and other radiations
$225.72M
1.2% of exports
10Aluminium: unwrought, alloys
$218.77M
1.2% of exports

🎯 Strategic Export Focus

Malaysia's export portfolio to Japan demonstrates strong diversification across multiple sectors, with petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons: liquefied, natural gas representing a key competitive advantage in this bilateral market.

Japan → Malaysia Imports

$13.88B
2023 Total

Import Dependency Profile

Supply Diversity:
Well Diversified
Critical Imports:
6.3% concentration
1Parts of electronic integrated circuits
$868.77M
6.3% of imports
2Electronic integrated circuits: memories
$836.48M
6.0% of imports
3Petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals, not crude: preparations n.e.c. containing by weight 70% or more of petroleum oils or oils from bituminous minerals: these being the basic constituents of the preparations: waste oils
$501.97M
3.6% of imports
4Vehicles: with only spark-ignition internal combustion reciprocating piston engine, cylinder capacity over 1500 but not over 3000cc
$470.53M
3.4% of imports
5Vehicle parts: gear boxes and parts thereof
$285.71M
2.1% of imports
6Electronic integrated circuits: n.e.c. in heading no. 8542
$270.99M
2.0% of imports
7Electronic integrated circuits: processors and controllers, whether or not combined with memories, converters, logic circuits, amplifiers, clock and timing circuits, or other circuits
$227.22M
1.6% of imports
8Metal: precious or metal clad with precious metal, other than that of item no. 7115.10
$225.42M
1.6% of imports
9Circuits: printed
$219.26M
1.6% of imports
10Machines and apparatus of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of semiconductor devices or of electronic integrated circuits
$212.20M
1.5% of imports

📦 Import Strategy Analysis

Malaysia's import pattern from Japan reveals strategic sourcingin parts of electronic integrated circuits, highlighting complementary economic structures and potential supply chain optimization opportunities.

Competitive Trade Position Analysis

🏆

Market Leadership

Malaysia demonstrates competitive strength in exportingpetroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons: liquefied, natural gas to Japan, leveraging comparative advantages.

Export Leader in 20+ Categories
🔄

Trade Complementarity

The bilateral relationship showsstrongcomplementarity, with each country specializing in different sectors.

Highly Balanced
📈

Growth Potential

The $32.77B trade volume indicates substantial economic integration with room for expansion in emerging sectors.

Major Partnership

Executive Summary: Malaysia-Japan Trade Relationship

Key Trade Highlights 2023

  • Total Trade Volume: $32.77 billionrepresenting a significant bilateral economic relationship
  • Trade Balance: Malaysia maintains a surplus of $5.01 billion
  • Export Focus: Malaysia's primary exports include petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons: liquefied, natural gas, electronic integrated circuits: n.e.c. in heading no. 8542, vegetable oils: palm oil and its fractions, other than crude, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified
  • Import Dependencies: Key imports from Japan include parts of electronic integrated circuits, electronic integrated circuits: memories, petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals, not crude: preparations n.e.c. containing by weight 70% or more of petroleum oils or oils from bituminous minerals: these being the basic constituents of the preparations: waste oils

Strategic Trade Indicators

Trade IntensityHigh
Export DiversificationDiversified
Trade Balance HealthBalanced

📈 Market Position: This bilateral trade relationship represents a significant global trade partnerships, with complementary economic strengths driving sustained commercial exchange.

Historical Trade Analysis & Economic Context

Trade Evolution Timeline

2019-2023: Recent Trends

Current trade volume of $32.77B represents the culmination of evolving bilateral commercial relationships, influenced by global supply chain shifts and changing economic priorities.

2015-2019: Growth Period

Sustained expansion in bilateral trade driven by complementary economic structures, with Malaysia leveraging its comparative advantages in petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons: liquefied, natural gas.

2010-2015: Foundation Building

Establishment of modern trade frameworks and reduction of barriers, facilitating increased commercial exchange and investment flows between the two economies.

Pre-2010: Early Development

Initial stages of bilateral trade relationship development, with focus on traditional export-import patterns and gradual market integration.

Key Economic Drivers

1

Comparative Advantage

Malaysia's specialization in petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons: liquefied, natural gascomplements Japan's demand patterns, creating natural trade synergies.

2

Supply Chain Integration

Deep integration in global value chains has strengthened bilateral linkages, particularly in parts of electronic integrated circuits.

3

Market Access & Trade Policy

Favorable trade agreements and market access conditions have facilitated the growth of this $32.77B bilateral relationship.

Trade Pattern Insights

Trade ComplementarityAsymmetric
Seasonal VariationsModerate
Product ConcentrationLow
Market DependencyModerate
🔮

Trade Relationship Outlook

The $32.77B bilateral trade volume positions this relationship for continued growth, supported by technological advancement, evolving consumer preferences, and strengthening economic ties. Key opportunities lie in expanding cooperation in emerging sectors while managing potential supply chain vulnerabilities.

Economic Impact & Strategic Outlook

Economic Impact Assessment

💰

Trade Volume Impact

The $32.77 billion bilateral trade volume represents a significant economic factorfor both economies.

Economic Significance: High
🏭

Industrial Integration

Trade flows in petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons: liquefied, natural gas and parts of electronic integrated circuits demonstrate deep industrial linkages and supply chain integration.

Supply Chain Integration: Diversified
⚖️

Trade Balance Effects

Malaysia's trade surplus of $5.01 billion strengthens its overall economic position in this bilateral relationship.

Balance Impact: Well Balanced

Strategic Future Outlook

🚀Growth Opportunities

Emerging Sectors
Technology transfer and innovation cooperation in electronic integrated circuits: n.e.c. in heading no. 8542 present expansion opportunities.
Market Diversification
Beyond current focus on parts of electronic integrated circuits, new product categories offer potential for trade expansion.

⚠️Risk Factors

Supply Chain Vulnerabilities
Moderate concentration in key sectors requires monitoring
Market Competition
Global competition in petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons: liquefied, natural gas may affect future market positioning.

🎯Strategic Recommendations

  • Strengthen cooperation in high-value sectors beyond current trade patterns
  • Develop alternative supply chains to reduce dependency risks
  • Explore joint ventures in emerging technology sectors
  • Enhance trade facilitation and reduce transaction costs

Market Position & Competitive Summary

The bilateral trade relationship between Malaysia and Japan represents a total trade volume of $32.77 billion in 2023. This partnership demonstrates a favorable trade balance for Malaysia, with exports exceeding importsby $5.01 billion.

Export Strengths

Malaysia's exports to Japan total $18.89 billion, with competitive advantages in petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons: liquefied, natural gas, representing $6.52B or34.5% of bilateral exports.

Import Dependencies

Imports from Japan amount to $13.88 billion, highlighting economic interdependence in parts of electronic integrated circuits, with Parts of electronic integrated circuits comprising6.3% of total imports.

The trade relationship reflects broader economic patterns and comparative advantages. The trade surplus indicates Malaysia's competitive position in this bilateral relationship. This partnership is characterized by complementary trade flows, with each country specializing in different product categories based on their respective economic strengths, industrial capabilities, and position in global value chains.

Download Bilateral Trade Data

Access detailed trade data between Malaysia and Japan in multiple formats.

Data Source: CEPII BACI (Base pour l'Analyse du Commerce International) • Last Updated: January 2025 • Coverage: 1995-2023