Results of the External Trade Statistics for October 2006

Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that, in October 2006, Macao’s total value of exports amounted to MOP1.57 billion, down 26.6% over the same month of 2005. Among this, the value of domestic exports dropped 35.5% to MOP1.04 billion, while the value of re-exports remained unchanged, at MOP537 million. Total value of imports amounted to MOP2.92 billion, down 5.9% over the same period of 2005. A trade deficit of MOP1.34 billion was recorded. During the period of January – October 2006, the value of total exports expanded 12.4% year-on-year to MOP17.43 billion. Both the values of domestic exports and re-exports registered increases, up by 12.2% and 12.9% respectively. Moreover, the value of imports grew 17.9% to MOP29.86 billion. In the first ten months of 2006, Macao’s trade balance registered a deficit of MOP12.43 billion. The exports/imports ratio decreased from 61.2% in the corresponding period of 2005 to 58.4%. In the first ten months of 2006, the value of Textile & garment exports, which accounted for 73.0% of the total exports, grew 6.4% over the same period of 2005, while the value of Non-textile exports rose 32.5%. As the major components of non-textile exports, Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof and Footwear expanded 5.2% and 374.3% respectively year-on-year. The USA and the EU remained as Macao’s major export markets, together making up 64.8% of the total value of exports. Among this, exports to the USA, which made up 45.6% of the total value of exports, increased 4.1%, while exports to the EU, which took up 19.2% of the total, increased 43.5% over the same period of 2005. During the period of January – October 2006, Macao’s total value of imports grew 17.9% year-on-year, mainly due to increases in import values of, by broad economic categories, Fuels & lubricants (+33.9%), Consumer goods (+21.5%), Raw materials & semi-manufactures (+15.9%) and Capital goods (+5.9%). Meanwhile, Macao’s main suppliers of imported goods still concentrated in the Asian region. Imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong, which together constituted 55.5% of the total import value, rose 25.1% and 23.8% respectively compared with the same period of 2005.