KUALA LUMPUR, June 6: Malaysia reported flat export growth for April on Wednesday as weaker demand in the trade-dependent economy's key European and US markets offset continued strong shipments to China.

Malaysia exported 57.7 billion ringgit ($18.2 billion) of goods in April, just shy of the 57.8 billion ringgit reported in April of last year, the trade ministry said.

The performance is likely to fuel anxieties over Malaysian economic prospects as challenges such as the eurozone problems loom over the country's vital export sector.

Exports to the European Union sagged by 14 per cent compared to the same month last year to reach 5.2 billion ringgit, while shipments to the United States slipped 1.7 per cent to 4.81 billion ringgit.

“The slower growth in major economies and worries about the Europe debt crisis impacted exports in April 2012, with lower exports of mainly electrical and electronic products, crude rubber, and palm oil,” the ministry said.

The resource-rich South-east Asian nation relies heavily on exports of commodities such as palm oil and energy products as well as some manufactured goods.

Despite a slowdown in Chinese economic growth, that country's swelling raw materials needs remained a bright spot for Malaysian exporters, who shipped 8.11 billion ringgit worth of goods to the world's second-largest economy, up 16 per cent.

China overtook Malaysia's neighbour Singapore as the top export market in 2011.

Malaysia had earlier reported a better-than-expected 4.4 per cent year-on-year growth in exports in the first quarter of 2012, thanks to a pick-up in demand from the United States and Southeast Asia. Malaysia's total imports for April, meanwhile, rose 7.4 per cent to 50.2 billion ringgit, the ministry said.

Malaysia is Southeast Asia's third-largest economy.—AFP