External merchandise trade statistics for February 2016

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for February 2016 amounted to MOP710 million, up by 3.0% year-on-year; value of re-exports (MOP617 million) grew by 10.2%, while value of domestic exports (MOP93 million) dropped by 28.3%, with that of Non-knitted or non-crocheted garments (MOP0.88 million) falling by 82.4%. Total merchandise import declined by 24.6% year-on-year to MOP4.93 billion, the lowest single-month record since June 2011, of which imports of Mobile phones and Watches decreased by 54.2% and 40.8% respectively. Merchandise trade deficit amounted to MOP4.22 billion. In the first two months of 2016, total value of merchandise export rose by 2.1% year-on-year to MOP1.68 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP1.45 billion) increased by 9.1%, but that of domestic exports (MOP232 million) decreased by 27.1%. Total value of merchandise import fell by 21.2% to MOP11.86 billion. Merchandise trade deficit widened to MOP10.18 billion for the first two months of 2016. Analysed by destination, merchandise export to Mainland China (MOP234 million) and Hong Kong (MOP1.04 billion) in the first two months of 2016 increased by 2.0% and 1.0% year-on-year, while export to the EU (MOP29 million) and the USA (MOP20 million) decreased by 27.7% and 40.6% respectively. Exports of Non-textiles increased by 1.8% year-on-year to MOP1.55 billion, of which value of Electronic components (MOP152 million) soared by 112.8%, but that of Machines, apparatus & parts (MOP145 million) dropped by 33.9%. Exports of Textiles & garments totalled MOP134 million, up by 6.3%. By place of origin, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP4.31 billion) and the EU (MOP2.90 billion) in the first two months of 2016 decreased by 25.5% and 19.1% respectively year-on-year. Imports of Consumer goods dropped by 13.7% to MOP7.64 billion, with imports of Watches (MOP758 million) and Motor cars & motorcycles (MOP225 million) decreasing by 36.4% and 38.4% respectively. Moreover, imports of Mobile phones (MOP1.01 billion), Fuels & lubricants (MOP848 million) and Construction materials (MOP336 million) declined by 50.2%, 27.5% and 37.0% respectively. External merchandise trade reached MOP13.55 billion in the first two months of 2016, down by 18.9% compared with MOP16.71 billion a year earlier.