Results of the External Trade Statistics for May 2006

Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicates that, in May 2006, Macao’s total value of exports amounted to MOP1.84 billion, up 42.7% over the same month of 2005. Among this, the value of domestic exports surged 67.4% to MOP1.32 billion and the value of re-exports rose 3.4% to MOP516 million. Value of imports amounted to MOP3.23 billion, up 31.8% over the same period of 2005. A trade deficit of MOP1.39 billion was recorded this month. During the period of January – May 2006, the value of total exports increased 39.3% year-on-year to MOP8.25 billion. In addition, both the values of domestic exports and re-exports went up 56.2% and 8.2% respectively. Moreover, the value of imports amounted to MOP14.08 billion, up 29.8% over the same period of 2005. In the first five months of 2006, Macao’s trade balance registered a deficit of MOP5.83 billion. During this period, the exports/imports ratio increased from 54.6% in the corresponding period of 2005 to 58.6%. In the first five months of 2006, the value of Textile & garment exports, which accounted for 74.9% of the total exports, increased 45.4% over the same period of 2005. In addition, the value of Non-textile exports also rose 23.8%. As the major components of non-textile exports, Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof and Footwear both expanded 7.4% and 198.0% respectively year-on-year. The USA and the EU remained as Macao’s major export markets, together making up 66.6% of the total value of exports. Among this, exports to the USA, which made up 48.9% of the total value of exports, increased 53.9% over the same period of 2005; exports to the EU, which made up 17.7% of the total value of exports, also increased 117.9% over the same period of 2005. During the period of January – May 2006, Macao’s total value of imports grew 29.8% year-on-year, mainly due to the increase in the value of imports by broad economic categories, namely Fuels & lubricants (40.8%), Consumer goods (32.6%), Raw materials & semi-manufactures (28.2%) and Capital goods (21.8%). Meanwhile, Macao’s main suppliers of imported goods still concentrated in the Asian region. Imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong together constituted 55.2% of the total value of imports. Compared with the same period of 2005, the value of imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong rose 46.2% and 31.1% respectively.