Macau - Statistics and Census Service released External Trade Statistics for December 2005.
In December 2005, Macao? total value of exports amounted to MOP2.15 billion, up 11.8 percent over the same month of 2004. Among this, the value of domestic exports increased 15.8 percent to MOP1.70 billion and the value of re-exports decreased 1.3 percent to MOP450 million.
Value of imports amounted to MOP3.06 billion, up 17.2 percent over the same period of 2004. A trade deficit of MOP912 million was recorded this month. The cumulative value of total exports in 2005 registered a year-on-year decrease of 12.1 percent to MOP19.82 billion. Among this, the value of domestic exports fell 17.1 percent, whereas the value of re-exports rose 4.2 percent.
Meanwhile, the value of imports amounted to MOP31.34 billion, up 12.3 percent over the year of 2004. In 2005, Macao? trade balance registered a deficit of MOP11.52 billion; the exports/imports ratio decreased from 80.9 percent in 2004 to 63.3 percent in 2005.
In the fourth quarter of 2005, exports went up 13.0 percent, whereas imports also rose by 22.2 percent compared with the same period of 2004. The trade balance was a deficit of MOP2.65 billion.
In 2005, the value of Textile & garment exports, which accounted for 77.4 percent of the total exports, decreased 15.1 percent over 2004. However, the value of Non-textile exports remained unchanged.
As the major components of the non-textile exports, Machines and apparatus, parts & accessories thereof expanded 13.5 percent, whereas Footwear fell 91.5 percent over the year of 2004.
The USA and the EU remained as Macao? major export markets, together making up 65.8 percent of the total value of exports. Among this, exports to the USA, which made up 48.7 percent of the total value of exports, decreased 12.2 percent over 2004; exports to the EU, which made up 17.1 percent of the total value of exports, also fell 30.6 percent over 2004.
As regards the Asian markets, Mainland China and Hong Kong together absorbed 24.7 percent of Macao? total value of exports. Compared with 2004, the value of exports to Mainland China dropped by 6.2 percent, whereas the value of exports to Hong Kong rose by 14.1 percent.
In 2005, Macao? total value of imports increased 12.3 percent year-on-year, mainly due to the increase in the value of imports by broad economic categories. Increases were registered for Fuels & lubricants (41.3 percent), Capital goods (20.6 percent), Consumer goods (9.3 percent) and Raw materials & semi-manufactures (5.4 percent).
Meanwhile, Macao? main suppliers of imported goods still concentrated in the Asian region. Imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong together constituted 53.1 percent of the total value of imports. Compared with 2004, the value of imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong increased 9.0 percent and 6.0 percent respectively.
Moreover, total value of imports from the EU and the USA went up 18.4 percent and 12.9 percent respectively compared with 2004. The EU and the USA accounted for 13.1 percent and 4.1 percent of the total value of imports respectively.
