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South-East Asia

Export to Malaysia

Multi-ethnic market with a large Indian-origin community. Halal expectations for food; CECA and AITIGA both apply.

Capital
Kuala Lumpur
Currency
MYR
Trade agreement with India
India–Malaysia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA); also AITIGA
1 July 2011
Main ports
Port Klang, Tanjung Pelepas, Penang

Malaysia buys Indian food, meat, chemicals, aluminium, petroleum products and engineering goods. About seven percent of the population is of Indian origin, which supports demand for Indian groceries, spices and festival goods. Most consumers are Muslim, so halal certification is expected for most food.

India–Malaysia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA); also AITIGA

Under the CECA, Malaysia gives concessions beyond those in the ASEAN–India goods agreement (AITIGA). Ask your buyer which agreement gives the lower duty for your HS code and get the matching certificate of origin. AITIGA is under review; confirm current status on commerce.gov.in.

What it buys from India

  • Petroleum products, aluminium and chemicals
  • Meat, rice, sugar, spices and marine products
  • Machinery, electrical goods and auto parts
  • Medicines and textiles

Import rules on their side

  • Plant and animal products are inspected by MAQIS at the border and need the right Indian phytosanitary or health certificate.
  • Buyers usually want a halal certificate from a body recognised by JAKIM for food, and meat plants must be approved by Malaysia's veterinary services.
  • Food labels must be in Bahasa Malaysia (English may be added). Some electrical and building products need SIRIM certification.

Practical tips

  • Deepavali and Thaipusam are peak seasons for Indian food and goods — ship a few weeks early.
  • MIHAS in Kuala Lumpur is a large halal trade show, useful for food exporters.
  • Business is done in English; payment by telegraphic transfer or LC is common.
Sources (7)
  1. Department of Commerce — Annual Report 2024-25 (trade agreements chapter)
  2. PIB backgrounder — India's Trade Partnerships (27 Feb 2026)
  3. Royal Malaysian Customs Department
  4. Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services (MAQIS)
  5. Malaysia Halal portal (JAKIM)
  6. SIRIM QAS International, Malaysia
  7. Department of Commerce — TradeStat export-import data bank

Trade data

India’s exports to Malaysia in numbers

From the Department of Commerce’s TradeStat (Indian financial years, April–March), the country’s imports from the world from UN Comtrade, and its basics from the World Bank.

India’s exports here, 2025-26
US$ 6.83 bn
No. 16 of our 30 countries
Change from 2024-25
↓ -6.7%
US$ 7.32 bn → US$ 6.83 bn
Share of all Indian exports
1.55%
Its imports from the world
US$ 299.5 bn
2024 · India’s share 2.29%
2020-21: US$ 6.06 bn6.1k2020-212021-22: US$ 7 bn7.0k2021-222022-23: US$ 7.16 bn7.2k2022-23n/a2023-242024-25: US$ 7.32 bn7.3k2024-252025-26: US$ 6.83 bn6.8k2025-26
India’s exports to Malaysia, year by year · US$ million · TradeStat’s 2023-24 country table is double-counted, so it is not shown

What India sells here most

By HS chapter, 2025-26. Change is against 2024-25.

Name2025-26Change
1Fuels and petroleum productsHS 27US$ 1.71 bn-35.7%
2MachineryHS 84US$ 785 mn+6.8%
3MeatHS 02US$ 654 mn+5.9%
4Organic chemicalsHS 29US$ 285 mn+10.8%
5AluminiumHS 76US$ 265 mn+12.6%
6Electrical and electronicsHS 85US$ 231 mn+35.3%
7Gems, jewellery, precious metalsHS 71US$ 206 mn+9.7%
8Cereals (rice, wheat, maize)HS 10US$ 196 mn-2.5%
9VegetablesHS 07US$ 137 mn+34.1%
10Medicines and pharmaHS 30US$ 131 mn+16.1%
11Fish and seafoodHS 03US$ 127 mn+36.2%
12Coffee, tea, spicesHS 09US$ 125 mn+3.9%

What is rising and what is falling

Chapters where India sells at least US$ 5 million. Change from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

High demand

  1. Ships and boatsUS$ 32.3 mn → US$ 90.3 mn+179.4%
  2. Oilseeds and seedsUS$ 72.9 mn → US$ 104 mn+42.6%
  3. Instruments, medical devicesUS$ 68.7 mn → US$ 96.9 mn+40.9%
  4. Fish and seafoodUS$ 93 mn → US$ 127 mn+36.2%
  5. Electrical and electronicsUS$ 171 mn → US$ 231 mn+35.3%
  6. VegetablesUS$ 102 mn → US$ 137 mn+34.1%
  7. Fruit and vegetable preparationsUS$ 30.1 mn → US$ 39.9 mn+32.3%
  8. Fats and oilsUS$ 77.8 mn → US$ 101 mn+29.2%

Low demand

  1. Fuels and petroleum productsUS$ 2.66 bn → US$ 1.71 bn-35.7%
  2. Flour, malt, starchUS$ 121 mn → US$ 95.8 mn-20.5%
  3. Salt, stone, cementUS$ 46.9 mn → US$ 39.1 mn-16.5%
  4. CopperUS$ 79.9 mn → US$ 70.3 mn-12.1%
  5. Vehicles and partsUS$ 43.4 mn → US$ 38.4 mn-11.7%

Opportunity: what this country buys from the world, and from India

The country’s own recorded imports in UN Comtrade, 2024. Chapters with the biggest gap between what it buys from the world and what it buys from India.

Electrical and electronicsUS$ 85.9 bnIndia 0.4% · gap US$ 85.6 bn
Fuels and petroleum productsUS$ 49 bnIndia 4.3% · gap US$ 46.9 bn
MachineryUS$ 38.9 bnIndia 0.9% · gap US$ 38.5 bn
PlasticsUS$ 9.08 bnIndia 0.6% · gap US$ 9.03 bn
Vehicles and partsUS$ 8.05 bnIndia 0.5% · gap US$ 8.01 bn
Instruments, medical devicesUS$ 7.18 bnIndia 0.9% · gap US$ 7.12 bn
Gems, jewellery, precious metalsUS$ 6.52 bnIndia 3.3% · gap US$ 6.3 bn
Iron and steelUS$ 5.9 bnIndia 1.7% · gap US$ 5.8 bn
AluminiumUS$ 5.43 bnIndia 9.3% · gap US$ 4.92 bn
Other chemical productsUS$ 4.68 bnIndia 1.8% · gap US$ 4.59 bn

Our product guides that sell here

India’s exports of each product to this country, 2025-26.

Name2025-26Change
1Fresh vegetablesUS$ 137 mn+34.1%
2Readymade garmentsUS$ 133 mn+19.4%
3SpicesUS$ 118 mn+2.2%
4Processed foodUS$ 109 mn+5%
5Fresh onionUS$ 105 mn+53.3%
6Non-basmati riceUS$ 105 mn-17.8%
7Groundnut (peanut)US$ 86.5 mn+66.6%
8Basmati riceUS$ 82.8 mn+15.9%
9ChilliUS$ 50 mn+2.9%
10Frozen shrimpUS$ 41.8 mn+28.5%
11TurmericUS$ 17.5 mn-7.5%
12Cumin (jeera)US$ 13.9 mn-21.4%

The 20 biggest export lines

4-digit HS lines, 2025-26, with their Harmonized System descriptions.

Name2025-26Change
1Petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals, not crudeHS 2710US$ 1.68 bn-26.2%
2Meat of bovine animalsHS 0202US$ 632 mn+5.3%
3Turbo-jets, turbo-propellers and other gas turbinesHS 8411US$ 446 mn+15.5%
4AluminiumHS 7601US$ 255 mn+10.6%
5RiceHS 1006US$ 187 mn-5.7%
6Jewellery articles and parts thereof, of precious metal or of metal clad with precious metalHS 7113US$ 185 mn+3.9%
7Cyclic hydrocarbonsHS 2902US$ 160 mn+78.1%
8MedicamentsHS 3004US$ 113 mn+12.1%
9Onions, shallots, garlic, leeks and other alliaceous vegetablesHS 0703US$ 106 mn+51.6%
10Ground-nutsHS 1202US$ 86.5 mn+66.6%
11LeadHS 7801US$ 76.2 mn+23.5%
12CopperHS 7403US$ 62.3 mn-7.5%
13StarchesHS 1108US$ 58.1 mn-35.4%
14Iron ores and concentratesHS 2601US$ 57.1 mn-21.7%
15MachineryHS 8473US$ 52.4 mn-6.4%
16Pepper of the genus piperHS 0904US$ 51.2 mn+3.1%
17AircraftHS 8807US$ 51.2 mn+12.2%
18MolluscsHS 0307US$ 48.9 mn+51.2%
19CrustaceansHS 0306US$ 45.1 mn+28.8%
20Fixed vegetable or microbial fats and oils in chapter 15 and their fractions, whether or not refined, but…HS 1515US$ 43.6 mn+9.5%

What India buys from Malaysia

India’s imports from this country in 2025-26 by HS chapter, from TradeStat — this country can be your supplier too.

India’s imports, 2025-26
US$ 14.2 bn
US$ 12.5 bn → US$ 14.2 bn
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 6.83 bn
Trade balance
−US$ 7.35 bn
exports minus imports
Change in imports
+13%
Name2025-26Change
1Fats and oilsHS 15—+16.1%
2MachineryHS 84—-0.7%
3Electrical and electronicsHS 85—+60.2%
4Fuels and petroleum productsHS 27—-25%
5Organic chemicalsHS 29—+14.5%
6AluminiumHS 76—+29.7%
7RubberHS 40—+12.7%
8CopperHS 74—+17%
9Glass and glasswareHS 70—+144.9%
10PlasticsHS 39—+12%

The country at a glance

Population
36.0 mn
2025
GDP
US$ 472.2 bn
2025
GDP per person
US$ 13,125
2025
Imports (goods and services)
US$ 308.9 bn
2025

Sources: TradeStat — Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce · UN Comtrade database (United Nations Statistics Division) · World Bank — World Development Indicators · Figures taken 29 October 2026.

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