KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's export growth is expected to pick up slightly in March, a Reuters poll showed, rebounding from a slowdown in February due to holidays during the month.
The median forecast in a survey of 11 economists was for exports to expand 1.7% in March from a year earlier, up from a 2% decline in February.
Individual estimates, however, ranged widely between an annual decline of 3.5% and a rise of 4.5%.
February's decline in exports, the first since October 2016, was attributed to the Lunar New Year holiday, which began in mid-February compared to late-January the previous year.
Imports in March were likely down 3.3% year-on-year, falling again after a 2.8% decline the previous month.
The country's trade surplus is expected to widen to RM9.9 billion (US$2.52 billion) in March, from 9 billion ringgit in February.