Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export amounted to MOP1.39 billion in November 2023, down by 1.1% year-on-year. Value of domestic exports (MOP119 million) decreased by 42.0%, of which domestic exports of Pharmaceutical products & organic chemicals and Garments reduced by 74.9% and 48.0% respectively, while those of Bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits & other bakers’ wares grew by 28.2%. Value of re-exports (MOP1.27 billion) rose by 5.9%, of which re-exports of Perfumes and Articles for casino jumped by 582.3% and 234.1% respectively, while those of Non-diamond jewellery and Machines, apparatus & parts declined by 42.2% and 31.9% respectively. Meanwhile, total merchandise import went down by 3.7% year-on-year to MOP12.49 billion; imports of Mobile phones, Watches and Beauty, cosmetic & skincare products dropped by 23.7%, 22.5% and 19.1% respectively, whereas imports of Articles for casino and Gold jewellery showed respective growth of 401.6% and 22.3%. Merchandise trade deficit totalled MOP11.10 billion in November.

From January to November this year, total value of merchandise export dropped by 3.5% year-on-year to MOP12.25 billion, of which value of domestic exports (MOP1.42 billion) and re-exports (MOP10.83 billion) fell by 23.7% and 0.1% respectively. Total value of merchandise import grew by 1.4% year-on-year to MOP129.69 billion. Merchandise trade deficit totalled MOP117.45 billion in the first eleven months, up by MOP2.23 billion from MOP115.21 billion a year earlier.

Analysed by destination, merchandise export to mainland China (MOP884 million), Hong Kong (MOP8.98 billion), the USA (MOP408 million) and the EU (MOP135 million) declined by 27.7%, 7.8%, 29.2% and 16.0% respectively year-on-year in the first eleven months of 2023. Meanwhile, exports to the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP664 thousand) slid by 57.8%, while exports to the Belt and Road Countries (MOP541 million) rose by 20.6%. Exports of Textiles & garments went down by 25.1% year-on-year to MOP1.23 billion, and exports of Non-textiles dipped by 0.3% to MOP11.02 billion.

By place of origin, merchandise import from the Belt and Road Countries (MOP28.33 billion), Hong Kong (MOP6.55 billion) and the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP1.32 billion) rose by 20.0%, 39.9% and 37.2% respectively year-on-year in the first eleven months, while those from the EU (MOP41.08 billion) and mainland China (MOP36.90 billion) fell by 2.1% and 5.2% respectively. Analysed by place of consignment, merchandise import from Hong Kong (MOP105.10 billion) decreased by 2.2% year-on-year, whereas imports from mainland China (MOP18.81 billion) grew by 18.4%. Imports of Consumer goods went up by 5.0% to MOP97.63 billion, of which imports of Food & beverages (MOP21.73 billion) and Gold jewellery (MOP13.19 billion) expanded by 23.7% and 47.9% respectively; meanwhile, imports of Beauty, cosmetic & skincare products (MOP12.22 billion) shrank by 32.6%. Imports of Fuels & lubricants (MOP6.59 billion) and Construction materials (MOP2.81 billion) grew by 14.8% and 5.1% respectively, whereas imports of Mobile phones (MOP5.03 billion) slid by 51.0%.

External merchandise trade totalled MOP141.94 billion from January to November 2023, up by 1.0% compared with MOP140.61 billion a year earlier.