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.
