Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for February 2018 amounted to MOP712 million, down by 21.2% year-on-year; value of re-exports (MOP613 million) decreased by 21.6%, with that of Footwear falling by 66.5%; moreover, value of domestic exports (MOP99 million) slid by 18.8%, with that of Tobacco decreasing by 41.3%. Total merchandise import rose by 29.7% year-on-year to MOP6.61 billion, of which imports of Watches, Beauty, cosmetic & skin-care products and Handbags & wallets expanded by 67.7%, 64.8% and 58.9% respectively. Merchandise trade deficit in February amounted to MOP5.90 billion.
From January to February 2018, total value of merchandise export increased by 3.4% year-on-year to MOP1.94 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP1.70 billion) grew by 7.0%, but that of domestic exports (MOP244 million) declined by 16.1%. Total value of merchandise import went up by 30.6% year-on-year to MOP15.01 billion. Merchandise trade deficit widened to MOP13.07 billion for the first two months of 2018.
Analysed by destination, merchandise export to Mainland China increased by 38.4% year-on-year to MOP323 million from January to February 2018, of which exports to the Nine Provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta occupied 97.8%, up by 46.7%. However, exports to Hong Kong (MOP1.23 billion), the EU (MOP21 million) and the USA (MOP19 million) declined by 2.0%, 33.2% and 39.4% respectively. Meanwhile, exports to the Belt and Road Countries outside of Greater China (MOP44 million) increased by 54.7% year-on-year. Exports of Non-textiles went up by 3.2% year-on-year to MOP1.84 billion, of which value of Machines, apparatus & parts (MOP333 million) soared by 403.3%, but that of Diamond & diamond jewellery (MOP175 million) declined by 33.4%. Exports of Textiles & garments totalled MOP99 million, up by 7.2%.
By place of origin, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP5.07 billion) and the EU (MOP3.84 billion) increased by 29.8% and 27.7% respectively year-on-year in the first two months of 2018. Moreover, imports from the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP135 million) and the Belt and Road Countries outside of Greater China (MOP1.28 billion) increased by 30.6% and 26.4% respectively year-on-year. Analysed by place of consignment, merchandise import from Mainland China expanded by 23.9% to MOP1.94 billion, of which imports from the Nine Provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta (MOP1.89 billion) rose by 27.3%. Imports of Consumer goods went up by 27.1% to MOP9.73 billion, with imports of Beauty, cosmetic & skin-care products (MOP738 million) and Motor cars & motorcycles (MOP299 million) rising by 46.6% and 65.8% respectively. In addition, value of imports of Mobile phones (MOP1.50 billion), Fuels & lubricants (MOP1.02 billion) and Construction materials (MOP352 million) grew by 48.9%, 22.9% and 47.1% respectively.
External merchandise trade totalled MOP16.95 billion from January to February 2018, up by 26.8% compared with MOP13.36 billion a year earlier.