Kuala Lumpur, Nov. 25 -- Despite Malaysia's trade growth in October 2025 surpassing expectations, with both exports and imports reaching record levels, economists warned that the country's export expansion may slow in 2026.

Lavanya Venkateswaran, a senior ASEAN economist at OCBC Bank, said the latest figures exceeded expectations, reflecting strong recoveries in energy and electricity demand as well as robust regional trade flows.

However, she noted that export growth is expected to moderate next year, as the electronics and electrical (E&E) sector depends on the global semiconductor upcycle. Meanwhile, slower economic growth in Malaysia's major trading partners, including China, Japan, and the European Union, could weaken external dema...