Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for March 2012 amounted to MOP704 million, up by 15.8% year-on-year; value of re-exports (MOP503 million) increased by 24.4%, but that of domestic exports (MOP200 million) decreased by 1.2%. Total merchandise import amounted to MOP6.02 billion, up by 26.1% year-on-year. Merchandise trade deficit amounted to MOP5.32 billion in March 2012. In the first quarter of 2012, total value of merchandise export increased by 22.1% year-on-year to MOP1.98 billion, of which value of re-exports and domestic exports rose by 33.2% and 1.4% respectively; meanwhile, total value of merchandise import increased by 32.1% to MOP17.35 billion. Merchandise trade deficit for the first quarter of 2012 widened by 33.6% year-on-year to MOP15.37 billion. Merchandise export to Hong Kong (MOP1.02 billion) and Mainland China (MOP283 million) in the first quarter of 2012 increased by 40.7% and 21.9% respectively year-on-year. Exports of Non-textile (MOP1.69 billion) expanded by 32.0%, of which exports of Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof (MOP294 million) and Articles for casino (MOP73 million) surged by 152.5% and 247.1% respectively; however, exports of Textile & garment declined by 15.5% to MOP285 million. In the first quarter of 2012, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP5.39 billion) and the EU (MOP4.09 billion) expanded by 39.2% and 21.4% respectively year-on-year. Imports of Consumer goods rose by 32.2% to MOP10.63 billion, with imports of Gold jewellery (MOP1.66 billion), Watches (MOP1.15 billion) and Handbags & wallets (MOP1.02 billion) increasing by 57.5%, 49.4% and 49.8% respectively. Moreover, imports of Capital goods (MOP3.34 billion) registered year-on-year increase of 38.9%. In the first quarter of 2012, total value of external merchandise trade amounted to MOP19.32 billion, up by 31.0% compared with MOP14.75 billion a year earlier.
