00:00Malaysia's economy expanded at a slower than expected pace in Q1, dragged down by weaker
00:07growth in manufacturing and construction even before the US announced plans for punishing
00:12tariffs. Gross domestic product rose 4.4 percent in the January-March period from a year earlier,
00:19according to advanced estimates from the statistics department, which is below the 4.8
00:23percent median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey. This marks a third straight quarter
00:29of slower growth. The mining and quarrying sector shrank 4.9 percent as production fell.
00:35The data comes as policymakers review the official 4.5 percent to 5.5 percent growth forecast for 2025
00:43on uncertainty over global trade. The services industry remained the main driver of growth in Q1,
00:50expanding by 5.2 percent. However, the pace of this growth was also slower than in the previous quarter.
00:57Malaysia was hit with a 24 percent U.S. import tariff before President Donald Trump
01:02temporarily paired it back to 10 percent for 90 days while hiking levies for China.
Comments