KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's total trade in June rose 4.6 per cent to RM112.75 billion, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) says today.

The growth was supported by a 16.9 per cent increase in trade with China and 13.5 per cent with Japan.

Exports rose 5.4 per cent to RM60.97 billion compared with the same month last year, while imports also went up 3.6 per cent to RM51.78 billion, the ministry said in a statement on the Malaysia External Trade Statistics here.

It said export of manufactured goods for June increased by 5.8 per cent or RM2.28 billion from a year ago to RM41.55 billion.

Major export products for the month were electrical and electronic products (RM20.46 billion or 33.6 per cent), palm oil (RM5.12 billion or 8.4 per cent), liquefied natural gas (RM4.7 billion or 7.7 per cent), refined petroleum products (RM4.24 billion or 6.9 per cent) and chemicals and chemical products (RM4.05 billion or 6.6 per cent), it said.

The main export destinations were the Asean countries, China, Japan, the European Union and the United States (US), it added.In term of imports, MITI said the key categories by end-use were intermediate goods valued at RM31.68 billion or 61.2 per cent of the total, capital goods (RM8.13 billion or 15.7 per cent) and consumption goods (RM3.86 billion or 7.5 per cent).

Top import sources were other Asian countries and the US, it said.

On a six-month basis, total trade expanded by 5.9 per cent to RM651.33 billion compared with the corresponding period last year.

Exports rose by 4.2 per cent to RM351.21 billion while imports grew by eight per cent to RM300.12 billion.

"A significant expansion in trade was recorded over the past six months of the year with ASEAN with an increase of 8.9 per cent or RM14.47 billion, China at 14.6 per cent or RM11.32 billion and Japan 7.4 per cent or RM5.12 billion," it said.

However, it added that trade with the US was down 4.2 per cent or RM2.35 billion while trade with the European Union decreased 1.1 per cent or RM698 million.

It said manufactured goods were the highest contributor to exports with a 66.7 per cent share of total exports and expanded by 1.9 per cent or RM4.42 billion to RM234.34 billion.

Increases in exports were also recorded for optical and scientific equipment mainly parts and accessories for oscilloscope and spectrum analyser, by 18.6 per cent; rubber products primarily compounded rubber (20.5 per cent); machinery, appliances and parts particularly machinery specialised for particular industries and parts (13.7 per cent).

It said the top destinations for exports were other Asian countries, the US and Australia.

As for exports during the period, the ministry said the main end-use were intermediate goods valued at RM188.97 billion or 63 per cent of the total, capital goods (RM46.49 billion or 15.5 per cent) and consumption goods (RM21.76 billion or 7.2 per cent).

It added that the main sources of imports were China, Singapore, Japan, the US and Thailand.