Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export amounted to MOP729 million in February 2021, down by 16.8% year-on-year. Value of re-exports (MOP638 million) declined by 21.0%, with that of Articles for casino and Garments falling by 87.4% and 74.7% respectively. Meanwhile, value of domestic exports (MOP91 million) grew by 30.9%, with that of Garments and Bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits & other bakers’ wares soaring by 295.4% and 279.9% respectively. Total merchandise import surged by 102.8% year-on-year to MOP7.76 billion, of which imports of Gold jewellery, Mobile phones and Handbags & wallets swelled by 640.5%, 528.8% and 417.7% respectively, but those of Other textile made-up articles and Articles for casino declined by 70.6% and 45.8% respectively. Merchandise trade deficit in February 2021 totalled MOP7.03 billion.

From January to February this year, total value of merchandise export increased by 8.7% year-on-year to MOP2.15 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP1.89 billion) and domestic exports (MOP260 million) rose by 7.9% and 15.6% respectively. Total value of merchandise import expanded by 51.6% year-on-year to MOP18.41 billion. Merchandise trade deficit totalled MOP16.26 billion for the first two months of 2021, up by MOP6.10 billion from MOP10.17 billion a year earlier.

Analysed by destination, merchandise export to mainland China rose by 23.3% year-on-year to MOP239 million from January to February 2021, of which exports to the Nine Provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta (MOP215 million) increased by 17.9%. Exports to Hong Kong (MOP1.64 billion), the USA (MOP72 million) and the EU (MOP35 million) grew by 19.3%, 23.8% and 18.4% respectively year-on-year. Exports to the Belt and Road Countries (MOP65 million) and the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP162 thousand) swelled by 6.1% and 276.9% respectively. Exports of Textiles & garments fell by 33.6% year-on-year to MOP163 million, while exports of Non-textiles went up by 14.8% to MOP1.99 billion.

By place of origin, merchandise import from mainland China (MOP6.52 billion) and the EU (MOP5.89 billion) in the first two months of 2021 increased by 62.2% and 59.9% respectively year-on-year. Imports from the Belt and Road Countries (MOP3.61 billion) rose by 40.1%, while imports from the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP106 million) reduced by 18.7%. Analysed by place of consignment, merchandise import from Hong Kong (MOP15.11 billion) showed a year-on-year growth of 58.3%. Imports from mainland China expanded by 35.6% to MOP2.60 billion, of which imports from the Nine Provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta (MOP2.54 billion) grew by 34.8%. Imports of Consumer goods went up by 53.6% to MOP13.28 billion, with imports of Garments & footwear (MOP2.22 billion), Watches (MOP1.70 billion) and Handbags & wallets (MOP1.63 billion) surging by 81.3%, 111.4% and 137.1% respectively. Imports of Mobile phones (MOP2.14 billion) and Construction materials (MOP316 million) leapt by 275.3% and 56.7% respectively, whereas imports of Fuels & lubricants (MOP757 million) declined by 20.2%.

External merchandise trade totalled MOP20.57 billion from January to February 2021, up by 45.6% compared with MOP14.13 billion a year earlier.