Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise exports amounted to MOP1.18 billion in July 2024, up by 18.3% year-on-year. Value of re-exports rose by 23.2% to MOP1.05 billion, of which re-exports of Garments and Footwear soared by 137.1% and 117.1% respectively, while those of Articles for casino slid by 45.4%. Value of domestic exports dropped by 9.4% to MOP134 million, of which domestic exports of Garments and Pharmaceutical products & organic chemicals declined by 33.7% and 8.7% respectively, while those of Copper & articles thereof grew by 5.1%. Meanwhile, total merchandise imports dipped by 4.3% year-on-year to MOP10.58 billion; imports of Gold jewellery and Watches reduced by 38.3% and 29.7% respectively, whereas imports of Articles for casino and Motor cars showed respective growth of 152.8% and 25.0%. Merchandise trade deficit totalled MOP9.40 billion in July.
External merchandise trade totalled MOP82.25 billion from January to July 2024, down by 8.3% compared to the same period last year (MOP89.75 billion). Total value of merchandise exports grew by 5.8% year-on-year to MOP7.79 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP6.93 billion) increased by 6.8% while value of domestic exports (MOP862 million) decreased by 1.7%. Total value of merchandise imports dropped by 9.6% year-on-year to MOP74.46 billion. Merchandise trade deficit totalled MOP66.67 billion in the first seven months, down by MOP8.35 billion from MOP75.02 billion in the same period last year.
Analysed by destination, merchandise exports to the Belt and Road Countries (MOP501 million) and the EU (MOP141 million) expanded by 96.7% and 63.9% respectively year-on-year in the first seven months of 2024, whereas exports to mainland China (MOP452 million), Hong Kong (MOP5.42 billion) and the USA (MOP175 million) dropped by 7.9%, 1.9% and 34.2% respectively. Meanwhile, exports of Textiles & garments grew by 13.8% year-on-year to MOP886 million, and exports of Non-textiles went up by 4.9% to MOP6.90 billion.
By place of origin, merchandise imports from the EU (MOP22.37 billion), mainland China (MOP21.68 billion) and the Belt and Road Countries (MOP17.17 billion) decreased by 17.7%, 1.7% and 8.0% respectively year-on-year in the first seven months, while those from Hong Kong (MOP3.88 billion) increased by 2.9%. Analysed by place of consignment, merchandise imports from Hong Kong (MOP58.41 billion) fell by 13.2% year-on-year, whereas imports from mainland China (MOP12.07 billion) grew by 5.7%. Imports of Consumer goods went down by 15.2% to MOP53.50 billion, of which imports of Food & beverages (MOP12.23 billion), Gold jewellery (MOP6.38 billion) and Handbags & wallets (MOP5.74 billion) shrank by 15.3%, 20.2% and 19.3% respectively. Imports of Fuels & lubricants (MOP4.52 billion) rose by 15.4%, whereas imports of Mobile phones (MOP2.05 billion) and Construction materials (MOP1.28 billion) declined by 31.8% and 27.8% respectively.