Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export amounted to MOP1.34 billion in October 2023, up by 16.0% year-on-year. Value of re-exports (MOP1.21 billion) grew by 17.9%, of which re-exports of Articles for casino and Diamond & diamond jewellery surged by 207.5% and 163.2% respectively, while those of Wine and Watches declined by 68.9% and 26.5% respectively. Value of domestic exports (MOP132 million) increased by 0.7%, of which domestic exports of Garments and Pharmaceutical products & organic chemicals expanded by 14.3% and 12.8% respectively, while those of Copper & articles thereof dropped by 55.8%. Meanwhile, total merchandise import went down by 7.5% year-on-year to MOP11.74 billion; imports of Mobile phones, Beauty, cosmetic & skincare products and Perfumes reduced by 34.9%, 31.0% and 29.9% respectively, whereas imports of Articles for casino and Gold jewellery showed respective growth of 313.1% and 39.4%. Merchandise trade deficit totalled MOP10.40 billion in October.

From January to October this year, total value of merchandise export dropped by 3.8% year-on-year to MOP10.86 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP9.56 billion) and domestic exports (MOP1.30 billion) fell by 0.8% and 21.5% respectively. Total value of merchandise import grew by 2.1% year-on-year to MOP117.38 billion. Merchandise trade deficit totalled MOP106.52 billion in the first ten months, up by MOP2.88 billion from MOP103.64 billion a year earlier.

Analysed by destination, merchandise export to mainland China (MOP777 million), Hong Kong (MOP7.90 billion), the USA (MOP385 million) and the EU (MOP129 million) declined by 31.4%, 8.6%, 26.6% and 16.3% respectively year-on-year in the first ten months of 2023. Meanwhile, exports to the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP662 thousand) slid by 57.7%, while exports to the Belt and Road Countries (MOP517 million) rose by 45.0%. Exports of Textiles & garments went down by 24.8% year-on-year to MOP1.15 billion, and exports of Non-textiles dipped by 0.5% to MOP9.71 billion.

By place of origin, merchandise import from the Belt and Road Countries (MOP25.76 billion), Hong Kong (MOP5.88 billion) and the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP1.20 billion) rose by 21.8%, 44.7% and 43.5% respectively year-on-year in the first ten months, while those from the EU (MOP37.49 billion) and mainland China (MOP32.92 billion) reduced by 1.7% and 5.3% respectively. Analysed by place of consignment, merchandise import from Hong Kong (MOP95.22 billion) fell by 1.7% year-on-year, whereas imports from mainland China (MOP16.92 billion) grew by 20.2%. Imports of Consumer goods went up by 6.1% to MOP88.88 billion, of which imports of Food & beverages (MOP19.90 billion) and Gold jewellery (MOP11.98 billion) expanded by 28.6% and 52.4% respectively; meanwhile, imports of Beauty, cosmetic & skincare products (MOP11.00 billion) shrank by 33.8%. Imports of Fuels & lubricants (MOP5.97 billion) and Construction materials (MOP2.50 billion) grew by 14.1% and 5.0% respectively, whereas imports of Mobile phones (MOP4.37 billion) slid by 53.5%.

External merchandise trade totalled MOP128.24 billion from January to October 2023, up by 1.6% compared with MOP126.22 billion a year earlier.