Results of the External Trade Statistics for April 2006

Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicates that, in April 2006, Macao’s total value of exports amounted to MOP1.65 billion, up 45.0% over the same month of 2005. Among this, the value of domestic exports surged 74.6% to MOP1.11 billion and the value of re-exports rose 7.5% to MOP540 million. Value of imports amounted to MOP3.13 billion, up 30.6% over the same period of 2005. A trade deficit of MOP1.48 billion was recorded this month. During the period of January – April 2006, the value of total exports increased 38.5% year-on-year to MOP6.42 billion. In addition, both the values of domestic exports and re-exports went up 53.3% and 10.1% respectively. Moreover, the value of imports amounted to MOP10.83 billion, up 29.1% over the same period of 2005. In the first four months of 2006, Macao’s trade balance registered a deficit of MOP4.41 billion. During this period, the exports/imports ratio increased from 55.2% in the corresponding period of 2005 to 59.3%. In the first four months of 2006, the value of Textile & garment exports, which accounted for 75.1% of the total exports, increased 44.4% over the same period of 2005. In addition, the value of Non-textile exports also rose 23.3%. As the major components of non-textile exports, Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof and Footwear both expanded 8.4% and 113.6% respectively year-on-year. The USA and the EU remained as Macao’s major export markets, together making up 66.7% of the total value of exports. Among this, exports to the USA, which made up 49.6% of the total value of exports, increased 54.8% over the same period of 2005; exports to the EU, which made up 17.1% of the total value of exports, also increased 102.5% over the same period of 2005. During the period of January – April 2006, Macao’s total value of imports grew 29.1% year-on-year, mainly due to the increase in the value of imports by broad economic categories, namely Fuels & lubricants (44.3%), Consumer goods (30.4%), Capital goods (25.8%) and Raw materials & semi-manufactures (25.4%). Meanwhile, Macao’s main suppliers of imported goods still concentrated in the Asian region. Imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong together constituted 54.4% of the total value of imports. Compared with the same period of 2005, the value of imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong rose 47.2% and 30.0% respectively.