Results of the External Trade Statistics for April 2007

Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that, in April 2007, Macao’s total value of exports amounted to MOP1.60 billion, down 2.8% over the same month of 2006. Among this, the value of domestic exports dropped 15.8% to MOP938 million, and the value of re-exports increased 24.3% to MOP663 million. Total value of imports amounted to MOP3.61 billion, up 14.9% year-on-year. A trade deficit of MOP2.01 billion was recorded. During the period of January-April 2007, the value of total exports dropped 7.9% year-on-year to MOP5.92 billion. Among this, the value of domestic exports fell 21.0%, whereas the value of re-exports rose 27.3%. Meanwhile, the value of imports grew 17.8% to MOP12.76 billion, bringing Macao’s trade balance to a deficit of MOP6.85 billion. The exports/imports ratio decreased from 59.3% in the corresponding period of 2006 to 46.4%. During these four months, the value of Textile & garment exports, which accounted for 61.8% of the total exports, went down 24.3% over the same period of 2006, while the value of Non-textile exports rose 41.8%. As the major components of non-textile exports, Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof and Footwear surged 118.2% and 99.5% respectively year-on-year. The USA and the EU remained as Macao’s major export markets, together making up 56.4% of the total value of exports. Within this, exports to the USA, which made up 41.1% of the total export value, decreased 23.7%, and exports to the EU, which took up 15.3% of the total, decreased 18.0% year-on-year. During the period of January-April 2007, Macao’s total value of imports grew 17.8% year-on-year, mainly due to increases in import values of, by broad economic categories, Capital goods (+45.2%), Fuels & lubricants (+15.8%), Consumer goods (+14.6%) and Raw materials & semi-manufactures (+6.6%). Moreover, Macao’s main suppliers of imported goods still concentrated in the Asian region. Imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong, which together constituted 52.5% of the total import value, rose 14.5% and 10.5% respectively year-on-year.