Results of the External Trade Statistics for November 2005

Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicates that, in November 2005, Macao’s total value of exports amounted to MOP2.17 billion, up 14.0% over the same month of 2004. Among this, the value of domestic exports increased 5.4% to MOP1.57 billion and the value of re-exports rose 44.3% to MOP608 million. Value of imports amounted to MOP2.94 billion, up 19.1% over the same period of 2004. A trade deficit of MOP761 million was recorded this month. During the period of January – November 2005, the value of total exports decreased 14.3% year-on-year to MOP17.69 billion. Among this, the value of domestic exports decreased 20.1%, whereas the value of re-exports went up 4.9%. Meanwhile, the value of imports amounted to MOP28.25 billion, up 11.7% over the same period of 2004. In the first eleven months of 2005, Macao’s trade balance registered a deficit of MOP10.56 billion. During this period, the exports/imports ratio decreased from 81.6% in the corresponding period of 2004 to 62.6%. In the first eleven months of 2005, the value of Textile & garment exports, which accounted for 76.8% of the total exports, decreased 17.9% over the same period of 2004. However, the value of Non-textile exports rose 0.3%. As the major components of non-textile exports, Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof expanded 16.6%, whereas Footwear fell 91.6% year-on-year. The USA and the EU remained as Macao’s major export markets, together making up 64.7% of the total value of exports. Among this, exports to the USA, which made up 48.7% of the total value of exports, decreased 14.8% over the same period of 2004; exports to the EU, which made up 16.0% of the total value of exports, also decreased 35.8% over the same period of 2004. During the period of January – November 2005, Macao’s total value of imports increased 11.7% year-on-year, mainly due to the increase in the value of imports by broad economic categories. Increases were registered for Fuels & lubricants (40.4%), Capital goods (23.8%), Consumer goods (8.2%) and Raw materials & semi-manufactures (3.7%). Meanwhile, Macao’s main suppliers of imported goods still concentrated in the Asian region. Imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong together constituted 52.7% of the total value of imports. Compared with the same period of 2004, the value of imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong rose 6.8% and 4.5% respectively.