Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for February 2012 amounted to MOP653 million, up notably by 82.4% year-on-year compared with the Lunar New Year holidays in February 2011; value of re-exports (MOP481 million) and domestic exports (MOP172 million) surged by 97.3% and 50.5% respectively. Total merchandise import amounted to MOP5.71 billion, up by 64.4% year-on-year. Merchandise trade deficit amounted to MOP5.06 billion in February 2012. In the first two months of 2012, total value of merchandise export increased by 25.9% year-on-year to MOP1.27 billion, of which value of re-exports and domestic exports rose by 38.7% and 3.1% respectively; meanwhile, total value of merchandise import increased by 35.9% to MOP11.35 billion. Merchandise trade deficit for the first two months of 2012 widened by 37.2% year-on-year to MOP10.08 billion. Merchandise export to Hong Kong (MOP661 million) and Mainland China (MOP162 million) in the first two months of 2012 increased by 42.1% and 26.0% respectively year-on-year. Export of Non-textile (MOP1.09 billion) expanded by 36.1%, of which exports of Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof (MOP161 million) and Articles for casino (MOP59 million) surged by 212.4% and 266.9% respectively; however, exports of Textile & garment declined by 13.2% to MOP180 million. In the first two months of 2012, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP3.47 billion) and the EU (MOP2.76 billion) expanded by 43.9% and 25.4% respectively year-on-year. Imports of Consumer goods rose by 35.6% to MOP6.96 billion, with imports of Watches (MOP797 million), Handbags & wallets (MOP697 million) and Motor cars & motorcycles (MOP422 million) increasing by 58.4%, 57.8% and 61.5% respectively. Moreover, imports of Capital goods (MOP2.12 billion) registered year-on-year increase of 43.2%. In the first two months of 2012, total value of external merchandise trade amounted to MOP12.62 billion, up by 34.8% compared with MOP9.36 billion a year earlier.
