Results of the External Trade Statistics for August 2005

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.