Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the value of total exports of goods amounted to MOP1.51 billion in June 2008, down by 19.2% year-on-year; the value of domestic exports decreased by 23.2% to MOP977 million, and that of re-exports dropped by 10.4% to MOP535 million. The value of total imports of goods amounted to MOP3.60 billion, up slightly by 0.2% year-on-year. A trade deficit of MOP2.09 billion was recorded for June 2008. In the first half year of 2008, total exports of goods fell by 10.7% year-on-year to MOP8.53 billion, with the value of domestic exports and re-exports declining by 11.8% and 8.7% respectively. Meanwhile, total imports of goods grew by 6.9% to MOP21.45 billion, and the trade deficit for the first half year was widened to MOP12.91 billion. The exports/imports ratio decreased from 47.6% in the first half year of 2007 to 39.8% in the same period of 2008. The value of Textile & garment exports declined by 15.8% year-on-year and its relative importance decreased further to account for 59.9% of the total exports of goods in the first half year of 2008; moreover, the value of Non-textile exports fell slightly by 1.7%, with exports of Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof and Footwear dropping by 50.8% and 56.3% respectively, while exports of Image & sound appliances rose by 69.2%. In the first half year of 2008, the value of exports to the USA, Mainland China and the EU decreased by 6.3%, 40.3% and 40.5% respectively year-on-year, but that to Hong Kong rose by 23.6%. The main suppliers of imported goods to Macao concentrated in the Asian region. The value of imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong amounted to MOP11.13 billion, accounting for 51.9% of the total imports in the first half year of 2008. In terms of broad economic categories, the value of imports of Fuels & lubricants and Consumer goods expanded by 30.5% and 23.5% respectively year-on-year, but that of Raw materials & semi-manufactures and Capital goods decreased by 14.9% and 3.6% respectively.
