Imports: total value: $83.2 billion (1996) commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, food partners: Japan 27%, US 16%, Singapore 12%, Taiwan 5%, Germany 4%, South Korea 4% (1995)

Debt - external: $27.5 billion (1995 est.)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $45 million (1993)

Currency: 1 ringgit (M$) = 100 sen

Exchange rates: ringgits (M$) per US$1 - 2.4914 (January 1997), 2.5158 (1996), 2.5044 (1995), 2.6243 (1994), 2.5741 (1993), 2.5474 (1992)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Malaysia:Communications

Telephones: 2,550,957 (1992 est.)

Telephone system: international service good domestic: good intercity service provided on Peninsular Malaysia mainly by microwave radio relay; adequate intercity microwave radio relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; domestic satellite system with 2 earth stations international: submarine cables to India, Hong Kong and Singapore; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 28, FM 3, shortwave 0