Results of the External Trade Statistics for July 2005

Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicates that, in July 2005, Macao’s total value of exports amounted to MOP1.84 billion, down 22.6% over the same month of 2004. Among this, the value of domestic exports decreased 28.6% to MOP1.36 billion, and the value of re-exports went up 1.8% to MOP475 million. Value of imports amounted to MOP2.90 billion, up 13.4% over the same period of 2004. A trade deficit of MOP1.07 billion was recorded this month. During the period of January – July 2005, the value of total exports recorded a year-on-year decrease of 26.2% to MOP9.22 billion. Among this, the value of domestic exports and re-exports decreased 34.3% and 0.7% respectively. Meanwhile, the value of imports amounted to MOP16.28 billion, up 5.4% over the same period of 2004. In the first seven months of 2005, Macao’s trade balance registered a deficit of MOP7.06 billion. During this period, the exports/imports ratio decreased from 80.9% in the corresponding period of 2004 to 56.6%. In the first seven months of 2005, the value of Textile & garment exports, which accounted for 73.9% of the total exports, decreased 31.6% over the same period of 2004. Moreover, the value of Non-textile exports also dropped 4.9%. As the major components of non-textile exports, Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof expanded 10.3%, whereas Footwear fell 90.8% year-on-year. The USA and the EU remained as Macao’s major export markets, together making up 59.0% of the total value of exports. Among this, exports to the USA, which made up 47.7% of the total value of exports, decreased 24.9% over the same period of 2004; exports to the EU, which made up 11.3% of the total value of exports, also decreased 62.8% over the same period of 2004. During the period of January – July 2005, Macao’s total value of imports increased 5.4% year-on-year. In terms of broad economic categories, Fuels & lubricants, Capital goods and Consumer goods rose 34.8%, 24.6% and 3.2% respectively, whereas Raw materials & semi-manufactures registered a year-on-year decrease of 5.8%. Meanwhile, Macao’s main suppliers of imported goods still concentrated in the Asian region. Imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong together constituted 51.2% of the total value of imports. Compared with the same period of 2004, the value of imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong fell 1.1% and 0.6% respectively.