MACAU, March 26 - Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise exports and imports amounted to MOP1.25 billion and MOP9.13 billion respectively in February 2025, up by 29.7% and 5.5% year-on-year. Merchandise trade deficit totalled MOP7.88 billion. From January to February this year, total value of merchandise exports rose by 13.8% year-on-year to MOP2.38 billion, while total value of merchandise imports dropped by 5.0% to MOP19.88 billion. Merchandise trade deficit totalled MOP17.51 billion in the first two months, down by MOP1.33 billion from the same period last year (MOP18.84 billion).

In comparison with February 2024, value of re-exports expanded by 31.8% to MOP1.15 billion in February this year, of which re-exports of Perfumes and Non-diamond jewellery surged by 310.1% and 113.3% respectively, while those of Beauty, cosmetic & skincare products and Articles for casino slid by 31.4% and 20.8% respectively. Value of domestic exports grew by 9.1% to MOP94 million, of which domestic exports of Copper & articles thereof and Pharmaceutical products & organic chemicals increased by 15.0% and 12.0% respectively, while those of Bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits & other bakers' wares fell by 40.7%. Meanwhile, total merchandise imports rose by 5.5% year-on-year; imports of Optical instruments and Articles for casino showed respective growth of 113.3% and 66.2%, whereas imports of Construction materials and Mobile phones reduced by 27.4% and 24.2% respectively.

External merchandise trade totalled MOP22.26 billion from January to February 2025, down by 3.3% compared to the same period last year (MOP23.01 billion). Total value of merchandise exports grew by 13.8% year-on-year, of which value of re-exports (MOP2.16 billion) increased by 15.8% while value of domestic exports (MOP221 million) decreased by 2.4%. Total value of merchandise imports dropped by 5.0% year-on-year.

Analysed by destination, merchandise exports to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong SAR) (MOP1.84 billion) and the EU (MOP40 million) went up by 24.2% and 2.3% respectively year-on-year in the first two months, whereas exports to mainland China (MOP117 million), the Belt and Road Countries (MOP41 million) and the USA (MOP33 million) slid by 3.8%, 54.0% and 4.8% respectively. Analysed by commodity, exports of Textiles & garments grew by 9.5% year-on-year to MOP192 million, and exports of Non-textiles expanded by 14.2% to MOP2.18 billion.

By place of origin, merchandise imports from the EU (MOP6.26 billion), mainland China (MOP5.87 billion) and the Belt and Road Countries (MOP4.65 billion) decreased by 8.4%, 1.1% and 0.4% respectively year-on-year in the first two months of 2025, while those from Japan (MOP1.35 billion) increased by 10.1%. Analysed by place of consignment, merchandise imports from mainland China (MOP3.00 billion) and the Hong Kong SAR (MOP15.90 billion) fell by 5.6% and 4.7% respectively year-on-year. In terms of commodity, imports of Consumer goods went down by 4.8% to MOP15.01 billion, of which imports of Beauty, cosmetic & skincare products (MOP1.50 billion), Handbags & wallets (MOP1.33 billion) and Watches (MOP1.02 billion) shrank by 21.5%, 16.9% and 10.6% respectively. Imports of Fuels & lubricants (MOP1.08 billion) rose by 2.6%, whereas imports of Mobile phones (MOP400 million) and Construction materials (MOP205 million) declined by 37.0% and 46.8% respectively.