Results of the External Trade Statistics for December 2005

Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicates that, in December 2005, Macao’s total value of exports amounted to MOP2.15 billion, up 11.8% over the same month of 2004. Among this, the value of domestic exports went up 15.8% to MOP1.70 billion and the value of re-exports decreased 1.3% to MOP450 million. Value of imports amounted to MOP3.06 billion, up 17.2% over the same period of 2004. A trade deficit of MOP912 million was recorded this month. The cumulative value of total exports in 2005 registered a year-on-year decrease of 12.1% to MOP19.82 billion. Among this, the value of domestic exports fell 17.1%, whereas the value of re-exports rose 4.2%. Meanwhile, the value of imports amounted to MOP31.34 billion, up 12.3% over the year of 2004. In 2005, Macao’s trade balance registered a deficit of MOP11.52 billion and the exports/imports ratio decreased from 80.9% in 2004 to 63.3% in 2005. In 2005, the value of Textile & garment exports, which accounted for 77.4% of the total exports, decreased 15.1% over 2004. However, the value of Non-textile exports remained unchanged. As the major components of non-textile exports, Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof expanded 13.5%, whereas Footwear dropped 91.5% year-on-year. The USA and the EU remained as Macao’s major export markets, together making up 65.8% of the total value of exports. Among this, exports to the USA, which made up 48.7% of the total value of exports, decreased 12.2% over 2004; exports to the EU, which made up 17.1% of the total value of exports, also decreased 30.6% over 2004. In 2005, Macao’s total value of imports increased 12.3% year-on-year, mainly due to the increase in the value of imports by broad economic categories. Increases were registered for Fuels & lubricants (41.3%), Capital goods (20.6%), Consumer goods (9.3%) and Raw materials & semi-manufactures (5.4%). Meanwhile, Macao’s main suppliers of imported goods still concentrated in the Asian region. Imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong together constituted 53.1% of the total value of imports. Compared with 2004, the value of imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong rose 9.0% and 6.0% respectively.