Economics
Gadgets, Gloves Boost Malaysia Trade Surplus to Record
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Malaysia saw a trade surplus of 25.15 billion ringgit ($6 billion) in July, breaking the record set just a month earlier. Exports rose for a second straight month, mainly driven by electronics, while shipments of rubber products surged 93.9% from a year ago. The country’s rubber gloves industry has been minting billionaires left and right as demand for personal protection surges amid the coronavirus pandemic. The pickup in trade signals a recovery is underway after the government eased a lockdown that pushed the economy into contraction in the second quarter.