Malaysia January exports down 0.6 pct y/y, below forecast

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* January exports down 0.6 pct y/y vs Reuters poll f'cast 3.0 pct rise

* January imports down 5.3 pct y/y vs f'cast 2.0 pct rise

* Trade surplus 9.01 bln rgt vs f'cast 6.8 bln rgt

* Exports to China down 22.7 pct y/y; to EU up 3.7 pct y/y; to U.S up 18.1

pct

KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 (Reuters) - Malaysia's exports slid 0.6 percent in

January from a year earlier, wrongfooting expectations for a rise as demand from

China slumped, while imports also came in well below forecasts with a fall of

5.3 percent.

The faster fall in imports resulted in the trade surplus widening to 9.01

billion ringgit ($2.47 billion) in January from 6.4 billion ringgit in the same

month a year ago.

A Reuters poll had forecast a 3.0 percent rise in exports, and a 2.0 percent

rise in imports.

Exports remain supported by shipments of electrical and electronic products,

partially offsetting lower exports of commodities.

Demand for Malaysia's exports increased from the European Union, the United

States and India as those economies improved, though the factory sector in

China, one of Malaysia's biggest customers, contracted in January.

Economists expected imports to grow at a slower pace due to a weaker

ringgit. The weaker currency helped boost exports in ringgit terms. The ringgit

fell more than 4 percent year-to-date, making it the second worst performing

currency in emerging Asia.

For a graphic on Malaysia's exports and imports, please click: http://link.reuters.com/xyb28s

KEY DATA

(Exports and imports in percent, trade in billions of ringgit)

Jan Dec Nov Oct Sept August July June

Exports 63.9 67.7 63.73 65.09 64.5 63.88 61.12 61.23

y/y % -0.6 2.7 2.1 -3.1 2.0 1.7 0.6 7.9

Imports 57.6 58.5 52.6 63.9 55.2 60.02 57.48 57.26

y/y % -5.3 4.2 0.0 9.1 1.1 7.6 -0.7 9.2

9.01 9.2 11.13 1.19 9.3 3.86 3.64 3.97

Balance

MAIN EXPORTS

January 2015 % of % change

(bln rgt) total vs year ago

Electrical & Electronic Products 21.8 34.2 5.9

Palm oil 3.05 4.8 -22.4

Liquefied natural gas 6.2 9.7 -0.1

Chemicals and products 4.2 6.6 7.5

Crude oil 2.8 4.4 1.2

Refined petroleum products 3.9 6.2 -41.5

Machinery 2.7 4.2 22.7

Rubber products 1.5 2.4 2.2

EXPORT MARKETS

(bln rgt) % of total % yr/yr

China 6.4 10.1 -22.7

Singapore 8.7 13.7 0.9

Japan 7.5 11.7 -0.9

USA 5.9 9.2 18.1

Thailand 3.8 6.0 12.5

($1 = 3.6470 ringgit)

(Reporting by Trinna Leong and Al-Zaquan Amer Hamzah; Editing by Simon

Cameron-Moore)