KUALA LUMPUR: Halal exports of Malaysia rose to RM68.52 billion in 2025, up 10.9% from a year earlier, as food and beverage products and halal ingredients continued to anchor overseas sales in one of the country’s key export segments. Halal Development Corporation Bhd said the sector accounted for 4.3% of Malaysia’s total exports in 2025, an increase of 0.2 percentage point from the previous year, underscoring the industry’s continued role in the broader trade landscape.
The 2025 performance extended a run of annual growth after Malaysia recorded RM61.7 billion in halal exports in 2024, according to government data. The latest figure places the sector above the level targeted for 2025 in earlier trade promotion efforts and reflects sustained demand across major regional and international markets. Malaysia has positioned halal trade as a strategic export pillar, with certified products spanning food, ingredients, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and industrial inputs sold into both Muslim and non-Muslim majority economies.
Food and beverages remained the largest contributor to halal exports last year, generating RM36.86 billion and making up 53.8% of the total, while halal ingredients contributed RM21.39 billion, or 31.2%. Those two segments together accounted for more than four-fifths of total halal export value. Other categories, including cosmetics and personal care as well as pharmaceutical products, also formed part of the overall export mix, but the latest data showed the strongest weight remained concentrated in products linked to consumer staples and manufacturing supply chains.
Malaysia halal exports gain pace
China, Singapore, the United States, Japan and Indonesia were identified as the leading destinations for Malaysia’s halal exports, highlighting the sector’s reach across Asia and North America. The market spread points to a demand base that extends beyond traditional halal consumer channels into mainstream retail, food processing and industrial use. Malaysia’s halal trade profile has long been supported by its certification framework, export manufacturing capacity and established links between producers, traders and multinational buyers operating in regional supply networks.
HDC said the 2025 result reflected continued momentum in the halal economy as exporters expanded sales in core categories despite a more complex external environment. The corporation has played a central role in coordinating halal industry development, certification ecosystem support and market access initiatives for Malaysian firms. The latest export value also marked another step up from the first half of 2025, when Malaysia had already reported RM33.32 billion in halal exports, indicating that momentum was maintained through the second half of the year.
Government sees broader trade role
Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry has previously described halal exports as an important contributor to national trade performance, with the sector representing 3.9% of total exports in 2024 before rising further in 2025. The government has tied halal industry development to wider economic goals that include export diversification, value added manufacturing and stronger participation by domestic companies in international markets. Trade promotion efforts have also been linked to industry events and overseas business matching programs aimed at widening buyer access.
The 2025 figure reinforces Malaysia’s standing in the global halal economy at a time when demand for certified products continues across food production, consumer goods and industrial applications. With food and beverage shipments still forming the backbone of export earnings and halal ingredients providing a strong secondary base, the latest data showed a sector that expanded in value and maintained a visible share of national exports. The increase from 2024 provides a clear benchmark for the industry’s latest annual performance. – By Content Syndication Services.