Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicates that, in August 2005, Macao’s total value of exports amounted to MOP2.06 billion, down 13.2% over the same month of 2004. Among this, the value of domestic exports decreased 15.1% to MOP1.64 billion and the value of re-exports fell 4.6% to MOP422 million. Value of imports amounted to MOP2.92 billion, up 17.8% over the same period of 2004. A trade deficit of MOP854 million was recorded this month. During the period of January – August 2005, the value of total exports decreased 24.1% year-on-year to MOP11.28 billion. Among this, the value of domestic exports and re-exports decreased 31.1% and 1.2% respectively. Meanwhile, the value of imports amounted to MOP19.24 billion, up 7.4% over the same period of 2004. In the first eight months of 2005, Macao’s trade balance registered a deficit of MOP7.96 billion. During this period, the exports/imports ratio decreased from 82.9% in the corresponding period of 2004 to 58.6%. In the first eight months of 2005, the value of Textile & garment exports, which accounted for 75.5% of the total exports, decreased 28.7% over the same period of 2004. Moreover, the value of Non-textile exports also dropped 5.3%. As the major components of non-textile exports, Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof expanded 11.6%, whereas Footwear fell 91.2% year-on-year. The USA and the EU remained as Macao’s major export markets, together making up 61.6% of the total value of exports. Among this, exports to the USA, which made up 48.4% of the total value of exports, decreased 23.9% over the same period of 2004; exports to the EU, which made up 13.2% of the total value of exports, also decreased 54.7% over the same period of 2004. During the period of January – August 2005, Macao’s total value of imports increased 7.4% year-on-year. In terms of broad economic categories, Fuels & lubricants, Capital goods and Consumer goods rose 40.4%, 22.2% and 4.6% respectively, whereas Raw materials & semi-manufactures registered a year-on-year decrease of 2.6%. Meanwhile, Macao’s main suppliers of imported goods still concentrated in the Asian region. Imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong together constituted 52.0% of the total value of imports. Compared with the same period of 2004, the value of imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong rose 1.6% and 1.3% respectively.
