Leveraging the RCEP as an impetus for trade 07 Feb 2021 / 20:40 H. The apparent euphoria over the significant hike in trade surplus by about 27% to RM185 billion in 2020 compared with 2019 has caught the attention of many. Upon closer scrutiny, exports have declined by 1.4% while imports have dropped by 6.3%. The increase in trade surplus that is contributed by a significant drop in imports is not something to gloat about. The decline in imports for intermediate goods and capital equipment are indeed causes for concern. Based on Matrade’s report, the import of intermediate goods nosedived by 9.5% and this could be attributed to weaker manufacturing activity.