Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for October 2012 amounted to MOP637 million, up by 19.4% year-on-year; value of re-exports (MOP472 million) increased by 36.6%, but that of domestic exports (MOP165 million) decreased by 12.2%. Total merchandise import amounted to MOP5.92 billion, up by 9.5% year-on-year. Merchandise trade deficit amounted to MOP5.28 billion for October 2012.

In the first ten months of 2012, total value of merchandise export increased by 21.5% year-on-year to MOP6.79 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP4.87 billion) increased by 33.8%, but that of domestic exports (MOP1.92 billion) decreased by 1.5%; meanwhile, total value of merchandise import increased by 16.8% to MOP58.18 billion. Merchandise trade deficit for the first ten months of 2012 amounted to MOP51.39 billion.

From January to October 2012, merchandise export to Hong Kong (MOP3.45 billion) and Mainland China (MOP1.12 billion) increased by 42.3% and 25.1% respectively year-on-year, while export to the USA (MOP421 million) and the EU (MOP261 million) decreased by 8.3% and 19.0% respectively.

Exports of Non-textiles (MOP5.89 billion) in the first ten months of 2012 expanded by 32.4% year-on-year, of which exports of Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof (MOP1.21 billion) and Articles for casino (MOP296 million) surged by 168.7% and 39.8% respectively; yet, exports of Textiles & garments (MOP892 million) decreased by 21.4%. Domestic exports of Tobacco & wine (MOP440 million) rose by 22.7%, while exports of Knitted or crocheted garments (MOP280 million) declined by 24.8%. Re-exports of Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof (MOP1.20 billion) soared by 171.7%.

In the first ten months of 2012, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP18.81 billion) and the EU (MOP13.72 billion) increased by 23.2% and 11.0% respectively year-on-year. Imports of Consumer goods rose by 16.2% to MOP35.61 billion, with imports of Gold jewellery (MOP6.18 billion), Watches (MOP4.27 billion) and Motor cars & motorcycles (MOP2.69 billion) increasing by 20.4%, 35.8% and 40.0% respectively. Moreover, imports of Capital goods (MOP10.54 billion) registered a year-on-year increase of 22.3%.

External merchandise trade reached MOP64.97 billion in the first ten months of 2012, up by 17.3% compared with MOP55.40 billion a year earlier.