Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the value of total merchandise export for March 2010 registered an increase for the first time since February 2008, up by 17.4% year-on-year to MOP753 million, attributable to a 51.8% surge of re-exports (MOP554 million); meanwhile, value of domestic exports fell by 28.1% to MOP199 million. The value of total merchandise import amounted to MOP3.55 billion, up by 29.0% year-on-year. A trade deficit of MOP2.80 billion was recorded for March 2010. From January to March 2010, total value of merchandise export fell by 9.4% year-on-year to MOP1.83 billion, of which the value of domestic exports declined by 39.7%, but that of re-exports expanded by 16.7%; meanwhile, total value of merchandise import grew by 20.9% to MOP10.00 billion. The trade deficit for the first quarter of 2010 widened by 30.6% year-on-year to MOP8.17 billion; the exports/imports ratio went down by 6.1 percentage points year-on-year to 18.3%. Analyzed by destination of exports, value of merchandise export to Hong Kong in the first quarter of 2010 increased by 24.6% year-on-year to MOP839 million, while that to Mainland China (MOP270 million), the USA (MOP208 million) and the EU (MOP96 million) decreased by 7.2%, 58.8% and 48.2% respectively. Exports of Textile & garment amounted to MOP382 million, down substantially by 55.4% year-on-year to account for 20.9% of the total merchandise export; however, value of Non-textile exports (MOP1.44 billion) grew by 24.4%, with that of Copper & articles thereof and Jewellery rising notably by 150.9% and 109.4% respectively. Regarding the country of origin of imported goods, in the first quarter of 2010, value of merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP3.02 billion) and the EU (MOP2.20 billion) expanded by 20.9% and 27.1% respectively year-on-year. The value of imports of Consumer goods rose by 43.4% year-on-year, with that of Motor cars & motorcycles growing significantly by 113.9%; nevertheless, the value of imports of Capital goods and Raw materials & semi-manufactures fell by 14.6% and 7.1% respectively. From January to March 2010, total value of merchandise import and export amounted to MOP11.83 billion, up by 14.9% compared with MOP10.29 billion in the first quarter of 2009.
