KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's exports expanded by 4.4 percent year-on-year to 378.36 billion ringgit (85.84 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter, underpinned by higher shipment of manufactured goods, official data showed Friday.

The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) said in a statement that the exports of manufactured goods expanded by 6 percent year-on-year to 324.73 billion ringgit on the back of growing demand of electrical and electronics (E&E) products, machinery, equipment and parts, as well as palm oil-based manufactured products.

Trade for the first quarter grew by 3.6 percent year-on-year to 715.73 billion ringgit, with imports rising 2.8 percent to 337.37 billion ringgit.

Meanwhile, trade surplus recorded double-digit expansion of 20.1 percent to 41 billion ringgit.

"Moving forward, however, there is a need for caution given the uncertainties of global demands, which may temper growth in investments and domestic demand," it said

It also noted as a small, open trading nation, Malaysia is inevitably exposed to heightened external uncertainties in the global trading landscape.

As for March, Malaysia's exports went up 6.8 percent year-on-year to 137.31 billion ringgit.

Its total trade for the month increased by 2.2 percent to 249.89 billion ringgit.

Its imports during the month, however, declined by 2.8 percent to 112.59 billion ringgit.

Its trade surplus surged 94.4 percent from March last year to reach 24.72 billion ringgit. (1 ringgit equals 0.23 U.S dollars) ■