Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export amounted to MOP1.17 billion in May 2023, up by 2.6% year-on-year. Value of re-exports (MOP1.02 billion) rose by 3.8%, of which re-exports of Articles for casino and Beauty, cosmetic & skincare products rocketed by 3,348.2% and 56.3% respectively, while those of Diamond & diamond jewellery and Garments dropped by 56.4% and 31.7% respectively. Value of domestic exports (MOP157 million) decreased by 4.8%, of which domestic exports of Copper & articles thereof and Pharmaceutical products & organic chemicals fell by 41.6% and 41.2% respectively, while those of Garments grew by 28.3%. Meanwhile, total merchandise import went up by 4.3% year-on-year to MOP12.53 billion; imports of Gold jewellery and Food & beverages showed respective growth of 45.1% and 41.7%, whereas imports of Mobile phones and Beauty, cosmetic & skincare products reduced by 65.2% and 25.0% respectively. Merchandise trade deficit totalled MOP11.35 billion in May.

From January to May this year, total value of merchandise export dropped by 16.6% year-on-year to MOP5.18 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP4.59 billion) and domestic exports (MOP593 million) fell by 13.6% and 34.1% respectively. Total value of merchandise import decreased by 5.6% year-on-year to MOP59.80 billion. Merchandise trade deficit totalled MOP54.61 billion in the first five months, down by MOP2.50 billion from MOP57.11 billion a year earlier.

Analysed by destination, merchandise export to mainland China (MOP325 million), Hong Kong (MOP3.97 billion), the USA (MOP160 million) and the EU (MOP54 million) declined by 41.0%, 17.7%, 41.8% and 42.2% respectively year-on-year in the first five months of 2023. Meanwhile, exports to the Belt and Road Countries (MOP175 million) and the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP488 thousand) decreased by 3.3% and 42.6% respectively. Exports of Textiles & garments went down by 34.7% year-on-year to MOP547 million, and exports of Non-textiles dipped by 13.7% to MOP4.64 billion.

By place of origin, merchandise import from the EU (MOP20.07 billion) and mainland China (MOP15.88 billion) reduced by 10.6% and 14.4% respectively year-on-year in the first five months, while those from the Belt and Road Countries (MOP13.55 billion) and the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP648 million) rose by 19.2% and 74.1% respectively. Analysed by place of consignment, merchandise import from Hong Kong (MOP49.47 billion) dropped by 9.6% year-on-year, whereas imports from mainland China (MOP7.86 billion) increased by 20.0%. Imports of Consumer goods went down by 0.9% to MOP46.10 billion, of which imports of Beauty, cosmetic & skincare products (MOP5.94 billion) and Watches (MOP4.16 billion) shrank by 42.5% and 9.8% respectively; on the other hand, imports of Food & beverages (MOP10.38 billion) and Gold jewellery (MOP5.90 billion) expanded by 39.5% and 33.1% respectively. Imports of Fuels & lubricants (MOP2.62 billion) and Construction materials (MOP1.29 billion) went up by 8.4% and 6.5% respectively, whereas imports of Mobile phones (MOP2.39 billion) slid by 63.2%.

External merchandise trade totalled MOP64.98 billion from January to May 2023, down by 6.6% compared with MOP69.54 billion a year earlier.