MIER: Trade performance still good despite low business conditions, consumer sentiments indices

KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysia's trade performance is still at a good level despite consumers and businesses projecting glum sentiments over economic conditions.
The Malaysian Institute of Economic Research's (MIER) fourth quarter economic outlook for 2016, unveiled today, recorded a further decline in Business Conditions Index (BCI) and Consumer Sentiments Index (CSI) from the third quarter of 2016.
MIER executive director Dr Zakariah Abdul Rashid said the CSI and BCI may not be good but trade performance is still good, with growing export levels, particularly in November 2016.
"The rate of growth for imports are still a little bit slower as compared to exports," he said.
He also noted that domestic demand will be steering growth forward in 2017, since external demand for 2016 was slower than anticipated.