Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total value of export and import recorded double-digit year-on-year increases in January 2018, as the Lunar New Year in 2017 fell in January when exporters, importers and freight companies had more holidays which drove down the trade volume. Total merchandise export for January 2018 amounted to MOP1.23 billion, up by 26.2%; value of re-exports (MOP1.08 billion) increased by 34.8%, with that of Machines, apparatus & parts soaring by 443.5%; however, value of domestic exports (MOP145 million) declined by 14.2%. Total merchandise import grew by 31.9% year-on-year to MOP8.43 billion, of which imports of Construction materials, Motor cars & motorcycles and Mobile phones expanded by 98.8%, 87.1% and 50.1% respectively. Merchandise trade deficit in January amounted to MOP7.20 billion.
Analysed by destination, merchandise export to Mainland China increased by 92.4% year-on-year to MOP214 million in January 2018, of which exports to the Nine Provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta occupied 99.0%, up by 112.1%. Furthermore, exports to Hong Kong (MOP810 million) rose by 26.0% year-on-year, whereas exports to the USA (MOP15 million) and the EU (MOP13 million) dropped by 30.8% and 39.7% respectively. Exports of Non-textiles went up by 25.0% year-on-year to MOP1.16 billion, of which value of Machines, apparatus & parts (MOP189 million) soared by 440.8%, but that of Electronic components (MOP38 million) declined by 53.2%. Exports of Textiles & garments totalled MOP67 million, up by 52.2%.
By place of origin, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP3.07 billion) and the EU (MOP1.91 billion) expanded by 34.8% and 16.7% respectively year-on-year in January 2018. Moreover, imports from the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP72 million) increased by 17.4%. Analysed by place of consignment, merchandise import from Mainland China rose by 28.8% to MOP1.10 billion, of which imports from the Nine Provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta (MOP1.07 billion) grew by 29.8%. Imports of Consumer goods went up by 18.6% to MOP5.08 billion, with imports of Gold jewellery (MOP831 million), Handbags & wallets (MOP366 million) and Motor cars & motorcycles (MOP153 million) rising by 33.0%, 34.6% and 87.1% respectively.
External merchandise trade totalled MOP9.65 billion in January 2018, up by 31.1% compared with MOP7.36 billion a year earlier.