US – May Trade Balance

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US – May Trade Balance

08/07/2026 03:23 pm MYT

The US trade deficit widened by 42.2% month-on-month to US$77.6 bln in May (figure 1). Exports of goods and services declined by 3.2% to US$317.7 bln, primarily driven by lower exports of nonmonetary gold and other precious metals, computers and computer accessories, and consumer goods, especially pharmaceutical preparations. Imports rose by 3.3% to US$395.3 bln, reaching their highest level in more than a year. The increase was mainly driven by higher imports of consumer goods, particularly pharmaceutical preparations and cell phones, as well as crude oil and passenger cars.

On a year-on-year basis, the trade deficit rose by 16.2%. Exports and imports of goods and services grew by 12.6% and 13.3%, respectively.

Goods exports climbed 15.8% year-on-year to US$210.56 bln, while goods imports rose by 15.5% to US$317.05 bln. In services, both exports and imports increased by 6.6% and 5.1%, respectively.

Note from Publisher

According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, Malaysian households discard between 31.9 kg and 97.3 kg of food per person annually, with the majority of waste coming not from scarcity but from daily behaviour and management practices. Processed and cooked food is more frequently discarded than raw ingredients, with rice, vegetables, and takeaway meals forming a large share of what ends up in the bin. This points to inefficiencies in meal planning, over-preparation, and the common habit of storing food beyond their usable life.

In addition, nearly 80% of Malaysian households did not practise separate disposal, throwing away food waste together with other household trash, limiting recycling or composting potential and adding pressure to already strained landfills.

Although the estimated range of Malaysia’s household food waste per capita is broadly in line with the global average of 79 kg, it should not be taken lightly. Food waste has implications on food security, resource efficiency, societal well-being, and environmental sustainability. We need to have serious public awareness campaigns about meal planning, purchasing planning, and proper disposals. Malaysians should not take having abundant food for granted.

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