Malaysia Jan factory output growth seen steady at 7.4% year-on-year: poll

[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysia's January factory output likely grew 7.4 per cent from a year earlier, a Reuters poll showed, partly supported by a lower base in the same month of 2014.

The Lunar New Year holidays fell in January last year, but was in February this year.

Output in December 2014 was 7.4 per cent, above expectations as manufacturing, mining and electicity sectors helped boost factory output.

However, January's exports slipped as sales to China weakened. Exports fell 0.6 per cent, while imports dropped 5.3 per cent. With imports in the negative, the country's trade surplus came in at RM9.01 billion (S$3.37 billion).

REUTERS