Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise import fell by 44.1% year-on-year to MOP3.84 billion in April 2020, of which imports of Gold jewellery, Handbags & wallets and Watches declined by 92.2%, 76.1% and 69.6% respectively. On the other hand, imports of Other textile made-up articles, which comprised mostly face masks, surged by 174.3%. Total merchandise export amounted to MOP716 million, down by 24.8% year-on-year. Value of re-exports (MOP632 million) went down by 25.2%, with that of Watches falling by 63.8%. Meanwhile, value of domestic exports (MOP84 million) dropped by 21.4%, with that of Copper & articles thereof reducing by 16.3%. Merchandise trade deficit in April totalled MOP3.12 billion.

From January to April this year, total value of merchandise export decreased by 16.0% year-on-year to MOP3.86 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP3.41 billion) dropped by 17.9% but that of domestic exports (MOP449 million) grew by 2.3%. Total value of merchandise import declined by 28.1% year-on-year to MOP20.33 billion. Merchandise trade deficit totalled MOP16.47 billion for the first four months of 2020, down by MOP7.21 billion from MOP23.68 billion a year earlier.

Analysed by destination, merchandise export to mainland China rose by 12.1% year-on-year to MOP601 million from January to April 2020, of which exports to the Nine Provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta (MOP577 million) grew by 11.5%. Exports to the USA (MOP125 million) and the EU (MOP63 million) expanded by 102.7% and 20.8% respectively year-on-year, whereas exports to Hong Kong (MOP2.63 billion) fell by 17.3%. Exports to the Belt and Road Countries (MOP112 million) soared by 132.5%, while exports to the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP137 thousand) dipped by 46.8%. Exports of Textiles & garments rose by 75.2% year-on-year to MOP550 million, while exports of Non-textiles went down by 22.7% to MOP3.31 billion.

By place of origin, merchandise import from mainland China (MOP7.27 billion) and the EU (MOP5.54 billion) decreased by 24.7% and 27.4% respectively year-on-year in the first four months of 2020. On the other hand, imports from the Belt and Road Countries (MOP4.02 billion) increased by 15.4%, while imports from the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP238 million) shrank by 19.9%. Analysed by place of consignment, merchandise import from mainland China slid by 16.1% year-on-year to MOP3.65 billion, of which imports from the Nine Provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta (MOP3.59 billion) fell by 14.9%. Imports of Consumer goods went down by 29.9% to MOP13.76 billion, with imports of Watches (MOP1.17 billion) and Gold jewellery (MOP956 million) falling by 44.9% and 50.4% respectively. Imports of Fuels & lubricants (MOP1.62 billion) and Mobile phones (MOP844 million) declined by 24.7% and 56.9% respectively, whereas imports of Construction materials (MOP490 million) rose by 3.6%.

External merchandise trade totalled MOP24.18 billion from January to April 2020, down by 26.4% compared with MOP32.86 billion a year earlier.