Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for May 2018 amounted to MOP1.07 billion, up by 20.1% year-on-year; value of re-exports (MOP932 million) increased by 23.7%, with that of Machines, apparatus & parts surging by 196.9%; meanwhile, value of domestic exports (MOP142 million) grew by 0.5%, with that of Tobacco rising by 19.7%. Total merchandise import rose by 28.0% year-on-year to MOP7.18 billion, of which imports of Mobile phones, Motor cars & motorcycles and Beauty, cosmetic & skin-care products expanded by 182.6%, 70.3% and 57.1% respectively. Merchandise trade deficit in May amounted to MOP6.10 billion.
From January to May 2018, total value of merchandise export increased by 9.8% year-on-year to MOP5.14 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP4.46 billion) grew by 13.0%, but that of domestic exports (MOP676 million) declined by 7.8%. Total value of merchandise import went up by 26.3% year-on-year to MOP36.32 billion. Merchandise trade deficit widened to MOP31.18 billion for the first five months of 2018.
Analysed by destination, merchandise export to Mainland China increased by 15.7% year-on-year to MOP824 million from January to May 2018, of which exports to the Nine Provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta (MOP801 million) grew by 19.0%. Exports to Hong Kong (MOP3.26 billion) rose by 9.8% year-on-year, whereas exports to the EU (MOP70 million) and the USA (MOP54 million) declined by 16.3% and 28.3% respectively. Meanwhile, exports to the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP0.6 million) decreased by 11.4% year-on-year, while exports to the Belt & Road Countries outside of Greater China (MOP158 million) increased by 96.9%. Exports of Non-textiles went up by 10.8% year-on-year to MOP4.85 billion, of which value of Machines, apparatus & parts (MOP999 million) soared by 249.4%, but that of Electronic components (MOP183 million) declined by 56.5%. Exports of Textiles & garments totalled MOP288 million, down by 4.9%.
By place of origin, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP12.55 billion) and the EU (MOP9.34 billion) increased by 31.5% and 26.4% respectively year-on-year in the first five months of 2018. Moreover, imports from the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP322 million) and the Belt & Road Countries outside of Greater China (MOP3.16 billion) increased by 28.0% and 24.5% respectively. Analysed by place of consignment, merchandise import from Mainland China expanded by 14.5% year-on-year to MOP5.21 billion, of which imports from the Nine Provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta (MOP5.03 billion) rose by 16.3%. Imports of Consumer goods went up by 23.0% to MOP23.51 billion, with imports of Beauty, cosmetic & skin-care products (MOP1.91 billion) and Motor cars & motorcycles (MOP820 million) rising by 55.1% and 45.0% respectively; in addition, imports of Mobile phones (MOP3.27 billion), Fuels & lubricants (MOP2.76 billion) and Construction materials (MOP968 million) grew by 98.9%, 18.4% and 27.1% respectively.
External merchandise trade totalled MOP41.46 billion from January to May 2018, up by 24.0% compared with MOP33.43 billion a year earlier.