Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for March 2018 amounted to MOP1.03 billion, down by 3.8% year-on-year; value of re-exports (MOP879 million) decreased by 4.2%, with that of Electronic components falling by 57.4%; moreover, value of domestic exports (MOP152 million) slid by 1.7%, with that of Tobacco decreasing by 51.1%. Total merchandise import rose by 21.9% year-on-year to MOP7.68 billion, of which imports of Mobile phones, Beauty, cosmetic & skin-care products and Gold jewellery expanded by 179.2%, 64.9% and 33.7% respectively. Merchandise trade deficit in March amounted to MOP6.65 billion.
From January to March 2018, total value of merchandise export increased by 0.8% year-on-year to MOP2.97 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP2.57 billion) grew by 2.9%, but that of domestic exports (MOP397 million) declined by 10.8%. Total value of merchandise import went up by 27.2% year-on-year to MOP22.62 billion. Merchandise trade deficit widened to MOP19.65 billion for the first quarter of 2018.
Analysed by destination, merchandise export to Mainland China increased by 15.2% year-on-year to MOP471 million from January to March 2018, of which exports to the Nine Provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta (MOP459 million) grew by 20.5%. However, exports to Hong Kong (MOP1.92 billion), the EU (MOP40 million) and the USA (MOP32 million) declined by 1.1%, 21.7% and 25.9% respectively. Meanwhile, exports to the Belt and Road Countries outside of Greater China (MOP54 million) increased by 24.9% year-on-year. Exports of Non-textiles went up by 1.3% year-on-year to MOP2.79 billion, of which value of Machines, apparatus & parts (MOP493 million) soared by 315.8%, but that of Diamond & diamond jewellery (MOP243 million) declined by 22.6%. Exports of Textiles & garments totalled MOP184 million, down by 6.3%.
By place of origin, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP7.68 billion) and the EU (MOP5.97 billion) increased by 29.8% and 28.3% respectively year-on-year in the first quarter of 2018. Moreover, imports from the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP200 million) and the Belt and Road Countries outside of Greater China (MOP1.92 billion) increased by 29.9% and 23.5% respectively year-on-year. Analysed by place of consignment, merchandise import from Mainland China expanded by 17.1% to MOP3.00 billion, of which imports from the Nine Provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta (MOP2.90 billion) rose by 20.6%. Imports of Consumer goods went up by 23.9% to MOP14.64 billion, with imports of Beauty, cosmetic & skin-care products (MOP1.15 billion) and Motor cars & motorcycles (MOP470 million) rising by 52.9% and 45.3% respectively. In addition, value of imports of Mobile phones (MOP2.17 billion), Fuels & lubricants (MOP1.56 billion) and Construction materials (MOP598 million) grew by 74.0%, 22.9% and 30.1% respectively.
External merchandise trade totalled MOP25.59 billion from January to March 2018, up by 23.4% compared with MOP20.74 billion a year earlier.