Results of the External Trade Statistics for February 2006

Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicates that, in February 2006, Macao’s total value of exports amounted to MOP969 million, up 21.7% over the same month of 2005. Among this, the value of domestic exports increased 16.4% to MOP619 million and the value of re-exports rose 32.5% to MOP350 million. Value of imports amounted to MOP2.10 billion, up 42.9% over the same period of 2005. A trade deficit of MOP1.13 billion was recorded this month. During the period of January – February 2006, the value of total exports increased 33.3% year-on-year to MOP3.03 billion. In addition, both the values of domestic exports and re-exports increased 41.4% and 12.5% respectively. Moreover, the value of imports amounted to MOP4.74 billion, up 27.6% over the same period of 2005. In the first two months of 2006, Macao’s trade balance registered a deficit of MOP1.70 billion. During this period, the exports/imports ratio increased from 61.3% in the corresponding period of 2005 to 64.0%. In the first two months of 2006, the value of Textile & garment exports, which accounted for 77.1% of the total exports, increased 39.2% over the same period of 2005. In addition, the value of Non-textile exports also rose 16.8%. As the major components of non-textile exports, Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof expanded 12.8%, whereas Footwear fell 44.4% year-on-year. The USA and the EU remained as Macao’s major export markets, together making up 69.7% of the total value of exports. Among this, exports to the USA, which made up 51.4% of the total value of exports, increased 47.3% over the same period of 2005; exports to the EU, which made up 18.3% of the total value of exports, also increased 58.4% over the same period of 2005. During the period of January – February 2006, Macao’s total value of imports increased 27.6% year-on-year, mainly due to the increase in the value of imports by broad economic categories, namely Fuels & lubricants (63.6%), Capital goods (29.3%), Consumer goods (23.9%) and Raw materials & semi-manufactures (21.0%). Meanwhile, Macao’s main suppliers of imported goods still concentrated in the Asian region. Imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong together constituted 51.7% of the total value of imports. Compared with the same period of 2005, the value of imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong rose 42.2% and 24.7% respectively.