In 2009-2010, its exports of parts and components—notably in the automotive and electronics industries—were valued at $48 billion, a quarter of its merchandise exports. Malaysia’s pre-eminence in the electronics industry began in the early days of the international division of labour, with its courting of multinational companies from countries in the North. Free trade zones, established primarily for manufacturing electronic goods,72 helped the country develop rapidly between the 1970s and the 1990s.