Results of the External Trade Statistics for October 2005

Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicates that, in October 2005, Macao’s total value of exports amounted to MOP2.14 billion, up 13.2% over the same month of 2004. Among this, the value of domestic exports increased 9.7% to MOP1.60 billion and the value of re-exports rose 25.1% to MOP537 million. Value of imports amounted to MOP3.08 billion, up 29.0% over the same period of 2004. A trade deficit of MOP940 million was recorded this month. During the period of January – October 2005, the value of total exports decreased 17.2% year-on-year to MOP15.51 billion. Among this, the value of domestic exports decreased 22.7%, whereas the value of re-exports went up 1.1%. Meanwhile, the value of imports amounted to MOP25.30 billion, up 10.8% over the same period of 2004. In the first ten months of 2005, Macao’s trade balance registered a deficit of MOP9.79 billion. During this period, the exports/imports ratio decreased from 82.1% in the corresponding period of 2004 to 61.3%. In the first ten months of 2005, the value of Textile & garment exports, which accounted for 77.1% of the total exports, decreased 20.4% over the same period of 2004. Moreover, the value of Non-textile exports also dropped 4.2%. As the major components of non-textile exports, Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof expanded 14.0%, whereas Footwear fell 91.3% year-on-year. The USA and the EU remained as Macao’s major export markets, together making up 64.4% of the total value of exports. Among this, exports to the USA, which made up 49.3% of the total value of exports, decreased 16.7% over the same period of 2004; exports to the EU, which made up 15.1% of the total value of exports, also decreased 41.7% over the same period of 2004. During the period of January – October 2005, Macao’s total value of imports increased 10.8% year-on-year, mainly due to a general increase in broad economic categories. Increases were registered for Fuels & lubricants (42.1%), Capital goods (25.2%), Consumer goods (6.7%) and Raw materials & semi-manufactures (2.1%). Meanwhile, Macao’s main suppliers of imported goods still concentrated in the Asian region. Imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong together constituted 52.4% of the total value of imports. Compared with the same period of 2004, the value of imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong rose 5.5% and 3.3% respectively.