Malaysia Impacted by Middle East Conflict: Unemployment in April Rises by 21%, Fertilizer Prices Surge 45.5%, Agricultural Exports Expected to Fall by 13.5%

汇通财经2026/05/25 13:42

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⑴ Malaysia’s Minister of Economy stated on Monday that the country is feeling the economic ripple effects from the Middle East conflict—rising energy prices, increasing logistics costs, and supply chain disruptions are impacting multiple industries. ⑵ Data shows that 7,057 workers lost their jobs in April, a 21% increase compared to March, with pressure mounting in both the logistics and aviation sectors. Agricultural commodity producers are also under strain: sea freight rates for Middle East routes have surged by 50% to 80%, fertilizer prices have jumped as much as 45.5%, and agricultural insecticides are up by 37.5%. ⑶ Plantation and machinery operating costs have risen by 10% to 30%, rubber replanting costs have increased by 46% to 55%, and palm oil chemical production costs have soared as much as 30%. In the first quarter, agricultural trade volumes fell by 14.7% due to weak exports of cocoa, rubber, palm oil, pepper, and timber products. ⑷ From the perspective of trading sentiment, the Minister of Economy forecasts that overall agricultural exports will decline by 13.48% in 2026, while imports are expected to decrease by 3.28%. This set of data reflects that the indirect impact of the Middle East conflict on open Southeast Asian economies is accelerating via shipping, energy, and fertilizer channels. As a major global supplier of palm oil and rubber, Malaysia’s rising supply-side costs may further drive up downstream consumer product prices.

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路透社•2026/10/09 16:16