Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise exports amounted to MOP1.16 billion in August 2024, up by 17.2% year-on-year. Value of re-exports rose by 22.1% to MOP1.03 billion, of which re-exports of Non-diamond jewellery and Perfumes soared by 178.6% and 177.8% respectively, while those of Wines and Articles for casino slid by 68.3% and 50.6% respectively. Value of domestic exports dropped by 12.0% to MOP124 million, of which domestic exports of Pharmaceutical products & organic chemicals and Bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits & other bakers' wares declined by 62.1% and 17.6% respectively, while those of Copper & articles thereof grew by 25.3%. Meanwhile, total merchandise imports dipped by 7.4% year-on-year to MOP10.41 billion; imports of Gold jewellery and Beauty, cosmetic & skincare products reduced by 49.5% and 25.9% respectively, whereas imports of Articles for casino and Motor cars showed respective growth of 91.3% and 12.9%. Merchandise trade deficit totalled MOP9.26 billion in August.

External merchandise trade totalled MOP93.68 billion from January to August 2024, down by 8.1% compared to the same period last year (MOP101.98 billion). Total value of merchandise exports grew by 7.1% year-on-year to MOP8.94 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP7.96 billion) increased by 8.6% while value of domestic exports (MOP986 million) decreased by 3.2%. Total value of merchandise imports dropped by 9.5% year-on-year to MOP84.74 billion. Merchandise trade deficit totalled MOP75.79 billion in the first eight months, down by MOP9.49 billion from MOP85.28 billion in the same period last year.

Analysed by destination, merchandise exports to Hong Kong (MOP6.28 billion), the Belt and Road Countries (MOP527 million) and the EU (MOP146 million) expanded by 1.6%, 87.2% and 44.9% respectively year-on-year in the first eight months of 2024, whereas exports to mainland China (MOP513 million) and the USA (MOP208 million) dropped by 13.3% and 32.7% respectively. Meanwhile, exports of Textiles & garments grew by 18.8% year-on-year to MOP1.06 billion, and exports of Non-textiles went up by 5.7% to MOP7.89 billion.

By place of origin, merchandise imports from the EU (MOP25.26 billion), mainland China (MOP25.01 billion) and the Belt and Road Countries (MOP19.49 billion) decreased by 17.3%, 2.6% and 7.5% respectively year-on-year in the first eight months, while those from Japan (MOP6.00 billion) increased by 6.2%. Analysed by place of consignment, merchandise imports from Hong Kong (MOP66.23 billion) fell by 13.0% year-on-year, whereas imports from mainland China (MOP13.94 billion) grew by 4.2%. Imports of Consumer goods went down by 15.1% to MOP60.64 billion, of which imports of Food & beverages (MOP14.22 billion), Garments & footwear (MOP8.36 billion) and Gold jewellery (MOP6.92 billion) shrank by 12.6%, 3.5% and 25.0% respectively. Imports of Fuels & lubricants (MOP5.28 billion) rose by 14.4%, whereas imports of Mobile phones (MOP2.22 billion) and Construction materials (MOP1.43 billion) declined by 31.2% and 31.8% respectively.