Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for June 2018 amounted to MOP1.06 billion, up by 12.3% year-on-year; value of re-exports (MOP932 million) increased by 18.3%, with that of Articles for casino surging by 86.0%; meanwhile, value of domestic exports (MOP126 million) dropped by 18.5%, with that of Tobacco falling by 34.4%. Total merchandise import rose by 19.8% year-on-year to MOP7.26 billion, of which imports of Mobile phones, Beauty, cosmetic & skin-care products and Watches expanded by 83.1%, 37.8% and 33.9% respectively. Merchandise trade deficit in June amounted to MOP6.20 billion.
In the second quarter of 2018, total value of merchandise export (MOP3.23 billion) and merchandise import (MOP21.03 billion) grew by 20.6% and 23.6% respectively year-on-year, resulting in a trade deficit of MOP17.81 billion.
In the first half year of 2018, total value of merchandise export increased by 10.2% year-on-year to MOP6.20 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP5.39 billion) grew by 13.9%, but that of domestic exports (MOP803 million) declined by 9.6%. Total value of merchandise import went up by 24.8% year-on-year to MOP43.45 billion. Merchandise trade deficit widened to MOP37.25 billion for the first half year of 2018.
Analysed by destination, merchandise export to Mainland China increased by 9.5% year-on-year to MOP1.00 billion in the first half year of 2018, of which exports to the Nine Provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta (MOP977 million) grew by 12.4%. Furthermore, exports to Hong Kong (MOP3.92 billion) and the EU (MOP107 million) rose by 11.9% and 5.6% respectively, but exports to the USA (MOP65 million) declined by 31.7%. Meanwhile, exports to the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP24 million) and the Belt & Road Countries outside of Greater China (MOP174 million) surged by 3,584.9% and 83.4% respectively year-on-year. Exports of Non-textiles went up by 10.9% year-on-year to MOP5.86 billion, of which value of Machines, apparatus & parts (MOP1.26 billion) soared by 147.6%, but that of Electronic components (MOP228 million) fell by 52.1%. Exports of Textiles & garments totalled MOP333 million, down by 0.5%.
By place of origin, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP14.95 billion) and the EU (MOP11.06 billion) increased by 30.2% and 23.1% respectively year-on-year in the first half year of 2018. Moreover, imports from the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP393 million) and the Belt & Road Countries outside of Greater China (MOP3.79 billion) increased by 28.3% and 21.6% respectively. Analysed by place of consignment, merchandise import from Mainland China expanded by 13.0% year-on-year to MOP6.28 billion, of which imports from the Nine Provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta (MOP6.07 billion) rose by 14.4%. Imports of Consumer goods went up by 20.6% to MOP27.95 billion, with imports of Beauty, cosmetic & skin-care products (MOP2.24 billion) and Motor cars & motorcycles (MOP986 million) rising by 52.4% and 37.4% respectively; in addition, imports of Mobile phones (MOP3.75 billion), Fuels & lubricants (MOP3.41 billion) and Construction materials (MOP1.09 billion) grew by 96.7%, 17.0% and 23.1% respectively.
External merchandise trade totalled MOP49.64 billion in the first half year of 2018, up by 22.8% compared with MOP40.43 billion a year earlier.