Results of the External Trade Statistics for September 2005

Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicates that, in September 2005, Macao’s total value of exports amounted to MOP2.08 billion, up 5.4% over the same month of 2004. Among this, the value of domestic exports increased 8.3% to MOP1.64 billion and the value of re-exports fell 4.4% to MOP437 million. Value of imports amounted to MOP2.93 billion, up 16.5% over the same period of 2004. A trade deficit of MOP851 million was recorded this month. During the period of January – September 2005, the value of total exports decreased 20.6% year-on-year to MOP13.37 billion. Among this, the value of domestic exports and re-exports decreased 26.4% and 1.5% respectively. Meanwhile, the value of imports amounted to MOP22.20 billion, up 8.6% over the same period of 2004. In the first nine months of 2005, Macao’s trade balance registered a deficit of MOP8.83 billion. During this period, the exports/imports ratio decreased from 82.4% in the corresponding period of 2004 to 60.2%. In the first nine months of 2005, the value of Textile & garment exports, which accounted for 76.6% of the total exports, decreased 24.2% over the same period of 2004. Moreover, the value of Non-textile exports also dropped 6.1%. As the major components of non-textile exports, Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof expanded 9.2%, whereas Footwear fell 91.2% year-on-year. The USA and the EU remained as Macao’s major export markets, together making up 63.4% of the total value of exports. Among this, exports to the USA, which made up 49.3% of the total value of exports, decreased 19.7% over the same period of 2004; exports to the EU, which made up 14.1% of the total value of exports, also decreased 48.2% over the same period of 2004. During the period of January – September 2005, Macao’s total value of imports increased 8.6% year-on-year. In terms of broad economic categories, Fuels & lubricants, Capital goods and Consumer goods rose 36.5%, 22.9% and 6.1% respectively, whereas Raw materials & semi-manufactures registered a year-on-year decrease of 0.9%. Meanwhile, Macao’s main suppliers of imported goods still concentrated in the Asian region. Imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong together constituted 51.9% of the total value of imports. Compared with the same period of 2004, the value of imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong rose 2.6% and 1.5% respectively.