KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 (Reuters) - Malaysia's exports rose 1.7% in June from a year earlier, below expectations, government data showed on Thursday.
Exports had been expected to grow 4.6%, according to a Reuters poll of 14 economists. Imports in June rose 17.8% from a year earlier, data from the trade ministry showed, more than the 15.5% increase forecast in the same poll.
Malaysia recorded a trade surplus of 14.29 billion ringgit ($3.06 billion) in June, the data showed. Analysts had forecast a surplus of 14.8 billion ringgit. ($1 = 4.6630 ringgit) (Reporting by Danial Azhar; Editing by Martin Petty)
