Malaysia's 2014 trade surplus registered a growth of 16.6 percent, aremarkable achievement compared with the two previous years, saidMinister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.

Thegrowth impetus in exports resulted in a trade surplus of 83.11 billionRM, representing Malaysia's achievement of 17 consecutive years of tradesurplus, the Malaysian News Agency Bernama quoted the minister assaying.

He said exports in 2014 rose by 6.4 percent or 766.13billion RM, surpassing the forecast export growth of 6 percent in the2014/2015 Economic Report.

The minister noted that the country'stotal trade expanded by 5.9 percent to reach 1.45 trillion RM in 2014compared with 1.37 trillion RM in 2013.

He said major tradingpartners that contributed to the growth in trade were ASEAN countries,which grew by 14.54 billion RM or 3.9 percent.

It was followed bythe European Union (8.35 billion RM or 6.2 percent), the United States(8.01 billion RM or 7.4 percent) and Australia (7.48 billion RM or 16.4percent).

He added that with the exception of export commoditiessuch as palm oil and rubber, other exports to China continued to besustained.

He also said there were 16 markets which registered export value of over 1 billion RM.

Theywere Singapore, the United States, India, Hong Kong (China), Australia,Japan, Taiwan (China), the Netherlands, the Philippines, the Republicof Korea, Kenya, Germany, Norway, Mexico, the United Kingdom andVietnam.

Besides, trade with the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) countries registered a growth of 3.9 percent to 906.6 billion RM.-VNA