Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise exports increased by 2.3% year-on-year to MOP1.06 billion in May 2025, while total merchandise imports dropped by 4.5% to MOP10.05 billion. Merchandise trade deficit totalled MOP9 billion. From January to May this year, total value of merchandise exports rose by 2.3% year-on-year to MOP5.67 billion, while total value of merchandise imports dipped by 5.5% to MOP50.69 billion. Merchandise trade deficit totalled MOP45.02 billion in the first five months, down by MOP3.05 billion from the same period last year (MOP48.08 billion).
In comparison with May 2024, value of re-exports increased by 4.6% to MOP945 million in May this year, of which re-exports of Articles for casino and Watches rocketed by 239.4% and 21.6% respectively, while those of Footwear and Beauty, cosmetic & skincare products declined by 33.6% and 25.8% respectively. Value of domestic exports went down by 13.6% to MOP112 million, of which domestic exports of Copper & articles thereof and Pharmaceutical products & organic chemicals fell by 14.8% and 13.2% respectively. Meanwhile, total merchandise imports decreased by 4.5% year-on-year; imports of Mobile phones and Construction materials reduced by 30% and 27.1% respectively, whereas imports of Gold jewellery and Perfumes showed respective growth of 21.9% and 19.6%.
External merchandise trade totalled MOP56.36 billion from January to May 2025, down by 4.7% compared to the same period last year (MOP59.16 billion). Total value of merchandise exports grew by 2.3% year-on-year, of which value of re-exports (MOP5.1 billion) increased by 2.9% while value of domestic exports (MOP566 million) decreased by 2.5%. Total value of merchandise imports dropped by 5.5% year-on-year.
Analysed by destination, merchandise exports to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong SAR) (MOP4.3 billion) and the USA (MOP109 million) went up by 12.2% and 7.4% respectively year-on-year in the first five months of 2025, whereas exports to mainland China (MOP292 million), the Belt and Road Countries (MOP129 million) and the EU (MOP73 million) slid by 5.3%, 69.7% and 25.5% respectively. Analysed by commodity, exports of Textiles & garments increased by 5.9% year-on-year to MOP610 million, and exports of Non-textiles expanded by 1.9% to MOP5.06 billion.
By place of origin, merchandise imports from the EU (MOP15.18 billion), mainland China (MOP14.89 billion) and the Belt and Road Countries (MOP11.85 billion) decreased by 7.6%, 2.5% and 3.9% respectively year-on-year in the first five months of 2025, while those from Japan (MOP3.77 billion) increased by 4.5%. Analysed by place of consignment, merchandise imports from mainland China (MOP7.71 billion) and the Hong Kong SAR (MOP40.26 billion) fell by 7.1% and 5.1% respectively year-on-year. In terms of commodity, imports of Consumer goods went down by 5.2% to MOP37.34 billion, of which imports of Garments & footwear (MOP5.01 billion) and Gold jewellery (MOP4.9 billion) shrank by 7.1% and 1.6% respectively, while imports of Food & beverages (MOP9.4 billion) rose by 7.5%. Imports of Fuels & lubricants (MOP2.76 billion), Mobile phones (MOP1.12 billion) and Construction materials (MOP573 million) declined by 7.8%, 22.8% and 39.2% respectively.
