Results of the External Trade Statistics for June 2006

Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicates that, in June 2006, Macao’s total value of exports amounted to MOP2.08 billion, up 42.6% over the same month of 2005. Among this, the value of domestic exports surged 51.2% to MOP1.54 billion and the value of re-exports rose 23.0% to MOP546 million. Value of imports amounted to MOP3.30 billion, up 27.5% over the same period of 2005. A trade deficit of MOP1.22 billion was recorded this month. During the period of January – June 2006, the value of total exports increased 40.0% year-on-year to MOP10.34 billion. In addition, the values of domestic exports and re-exports increased 55.3% and 10.8% respectively. Moreover, the value of imports amounted to MOP17.38 billion, up 29.4% over the same period of 2005. In the first six months of 2006, Macao’s trade balance registered a deficit of MOP7.04 billion. During this period, the exports/imports ratio increased from 55.0% in the corresponding period of 2005 to 59.5%. In the first six months of 2006, the value of Textile & garment exports, which accounted for 74.9% of the total exports, grew 44.4% over the same period of 2005. In addition, the value of Non-textile exports also rose 28.4%. As the major components of non-textile exports, Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof and Footwear both expanded 13.6% and 252.9% respectively year-on-year. The USA and the EU remained as Macao’s major export markets, together making up 66.9% of the total value of exports. Among this, exports to the USA, which made up 48.2% of the total value of exports, increased 47.0% over the same period of 2005; exports to the EU, which made up 18.7% of the total value of exports, also increased 136.7% over the same period of 2005. During the period of January – June 2006, Macao’s total value of imports grew 29.4% year-on-year, mainly due to the increase in the value of imports by broad economic categories, namely Fuels & lubricants (37.1%), Consumer goods (33.8%), Raw materials & semi-manufactures (27.8%) and Capital goods (19.9%). Meanwhile, Macao’s main suppliers of imported goods still concentrated in the Asian region. Imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong together constituted 55.1% of the total value of imports. Compared with the same period of 2005, the value of imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong rose 42.9% and 33.5% respectively.