Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for January 2015 amounted to MOP960 million, up by 2.9% year-on-year; value of re-exports (MOP774 million) and domestic exports (MOP186 million) rose by 1.6% and 8.7% respectively. Total merchandise import was MOP8.53 billion, down by 1.2% year-on-year. Merchandise trade deficit amounted to MOP7.57 billion.

Analysed by destination, merchandise export to Hong Kong (MOP617 million) in January 2015 increased by 8.5% year-on-year, while export to Mainland China (MOP122 million), the EU (MOP25 million) and the USA (MOP17 million) decreased by 4.7%, 28.0% and 53.3% respectively.

Exports of Non-textiles increased by 4.5% year-on-year to MOP884 million, of which value of Clocks & watches (MOP124 million) and Tobacco (MOP55 million) rose by 26.4% and 143.8% respectively, but that of Machines, apparatus & parts (MOP161 million) dropped by 6.9%. Exports of Textiles & garments totalled MOP77 million, down by 12.4%.

By country of origin, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP3.04 billion) in January 2015 increased by 3.9% year-on-year, while import from the EU (MOP1.91 billion) fell by 3.8%. Imports of Consumer goods dropped by 14.9% to MOP4.76 billion, with imports of Gold jewellery (MOP641 million) decreasing by 56.5%, but that of Food & beverages (MOP1.27 billion) increasing by 15.7%. Moreover, imports of Mobile phones (MOP1.34 billion) and Construction materials (MOP344 million) grew by 46.3% and 19.1% respectively.

External merchandise trade reached MOP9.49 billion in January 2015, down slightly by 0.8% compared with MOP9.57 billion a year earlier.