Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for January 2016 amounted to MOP973 million, up by 1.5% year-on-year; value of re-exports (MOP834 million) grew by 8.4%, while value of domestic exports (MOP139 million) dropped by 26.2%, with that of Tobacco (MOP27 million) falling by 49.9%. Total merchandise import decreased by 18.5% year-on-year to MOP6.96 billion. Merchandise trade deficit amounted to MOP5.98 billion. Analysed by destination, merchandise export to Mainland China (MOP136 million) and Hong Kong (MOP634 million) increased by 8.9% and 3.6% year-on-year in January 2016, while export to the EU (MOP17 million) and the USA (MOP11 million) decreased by 31.1% and 35.7% respectively. Exports of Non-textiles increased by 2.7% year-on-year to MOP903 million, of which value of Electronic components (MOP85 million) soared by 223.5% and that of Diamond & diamond jewellery (MOP84 million) rose by 19.4%; nevertheless, value of Machines, apparatus & parts (MOP82 million) dropped by 47.5%. Exports of Textiles & garments totalled MOP70 million, down by 11.4%. By place of origin, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP2.71 billion) and the EU (MOP1.63 billion) decreased by 21.4% and 15.4% respectively year-on-year in January 2016. Imports of Consumer goods dropped by 8.6% to MOP4.36 billion, with imports of Watches (MOP447 million) and Motor cars & motorcycles (MOP113 million) decreasing by 31.3% and 46.2% respectively. Moreover, imports of Mobile phones (MOP692 million), Fuels & lubricants (MOP434 million) and Construction materials (MOP209 million) declined by 48.1%, 30.6% and 39.6% respectively. External merchandise trade reached MOP7.93 billion in January 2016, down by 16.5% compared with MOP9.49 billion a year earlier.
