KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz does not think the Asia’s high trade percentage in March will continue.

The investment, trade and industry minister said March was an unusually high trade month because companies were preparing for the eventual tariffs.

“I don’t expect the momentum to continue, honestly. Look at the global trends and revised numbers by the IMF(International Monetary Fund), World Bank on the world economy and also revised numbers by WTO (World Trade Organisation) on world trade.

“You’ve seen that spike in the first three months especially in March happened because I believe the companies are exporting quickly and also stocking up, front loading the goods required before the tariffs come into effect.

“Hence in March it was a record number, I don’t think that is sustainable going forward,” he said today during a press conference after the special session on US tariffs at the Dewan Rakyat.

US President Donald Trump’s tariffs came into effect in early April.

Thai exports grew at a three year high in March.

It climbed 17.8 per cent from last year.

In Malaysia, Matrade (Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation) reported that trade rose 2.2 per cent to RM249.89 billion, the highest value ever registered for the month of March.

This performance was underpinned by a 6.8 per cent increase in exports to RM137.31 billion, also a record high for March, while imports declined by 2.8 per cent to RM112.59 billion.

Trade surplus grew by 94.4 per cent from March last year to reach RM24.72 billion, the highest value recorded since June 2023.