Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the value of total imports and exports of goods registered year-on-year decreases in October 2008. The value of total exports of goods amounted to MOP1.16 billion, down by 34.1% year-on-year, with the value of domestic exports decreasing by 47.3% to MOP642 million and that of re-exports dropping by 4.7% to MOP520 million. The value of total imports of goods amounted to MOP3.55 billion, down by 7.0% year-on-year. A trade deficit of MOP2.39 billion was recorded for October 2008.

From January to October 2008, total exports of goods fell by 16.1% year-on-year to MOP14.06 billion, with the value of domestic exports and re-exports declining by 22.3% and 4.2% respectively. Meanwhile, total imports of goods grew by 2.7% to MOP36.30 billion, and the trade deficit for the first ten months of 2008 reached MOP22.24 billion. The exports/imports ratio decreased from 47.4% in the first ten months of 2007 to 38.7% in the same period of 2008.

The value of Textile & garment exports declined by 25.3% year-on-year and its relative importance decreased further to account for 58.1% of the total exports of goods in the first ten months of 2008; however, the value of Non-textile exports grew slightly by 1.4%, with exports of Image & sound appliances rising by 47.6%, but exports of Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof and Footwear falling by 47.8% and 63.0% respectively.

In the first ten months of 2008, the value of merchandise exports to the USA, Mainland China and the EU decreased by 15.0%, 37.5% and 53.6% respectively year-on-year, but that to Hong Kong rose by 22.5%.

The main suppliers of imported goods to Macao concentrated in the Asian region. The value of imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong amounted to MOP18.29 billion, accounting for 50.3% of the total imports in the first ten months of 2008. In terms of broad economic categories, the value of imports of Fuels & lubricants and Consumer goods expanded by 21.7% and 18.4% respectively year-on-year, but that of Raw materials & semi-manufactures and Capital goods decreased by 18.8% and 8.5% respectively.