Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export amounted to MOP990 million in May 2021, up by 59.6% year-on-year. Value of re-exports (MOP820 million) rose by 64.2%, with that of Diamond & diamond jewellery, Wine and Watches surging by 843.0%, 663.9% and 248.0% respectively. Moreover, value of domestic exports (MOP171 million) grew by 40.8%, with that of Garments and Copper & articles thereof rising by 101.8% and 52.8% respectively. Total merchandise import swelled by 267.6% year-on-year to MOP15.69 billion, of which imports of Mobile phones, Gold jewellery, Watches and Beauty, cosmetic & skincare products rocketed by 2,616.0%, 2,362.4%, 1,145.1% and 846.5% respectively; in contrast, imports of Other textile made-up articles declined by 56.1%. Merchandise trade deficit in May 2021 totalled MOP14.70 billion.
From January to May this year, total value of merchandise export increased by 29.9% year-on-year to MOP5.51 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP4.76 billion) and domestic exports (MOP749 million) rose by 29.6% and 31.5% respectively. Total value of merchandise import expanded by 142.7% year-on-year to MOP59.03 billion. Merchandise trade deficit totalled MOP53.52 billion for the first five months of 2021, up by MOP33.44 billion from MOP20.08 billion a year earlier.
Analysed by destination, merchandise export to mainland China from January to May 2021 rose by 17.3% year-on-year to MOP755 million, of which exports to the Nine Provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta (MOP701 million) increased by 16.2%. Exports to Hong Kong (MOP3.94 billion) and the USA (MOP267 million) grew by 37.7% and 57.1% respectively year-on-year, whereas exports to the EU (MOP74 million) dropped by 3.6%. Exports to the Belt and Road Countries (MOP134 million) and the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP418 thousand) reduced by 6.8% and 94.9% respectively. Meanwhile, exports of Textiles & garments slid by 16.1% year-on-year to MOP554 million, while exports of Non-textiles went up by 38.3% to MOP4.96 billion.
By place of origin, merchandise import from mainland China (MOP19.83 billion) and the EU (MOP18.48 billion) in the first five months of 2021 surged by 119.9% and 184.2% respectively year-on-year. Imports from the Belt and Road Countries (MOP10.13 billion) leapt by 109.9%, while imports from the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP276 million) fell by 3.8%. Analysed by place of consignment, merchandise import from Hong Kong (MOP50.24 billion) showed an upsurge of 172.5% year-on-year. Imports from mainland China expanded by 41.1% to MOP6.55 billion, of which imports from the Nine Provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta (MOP6.41 billion) grew by 40.4%. Imports of Consumer goods jumped by 160.1% to MOP41.88 billion, with imports of Beauty, cosmetic & skincare products (MOP8.36 billion) and Gold jewellery (MOP4.38 billion) soaring by 365.2% and 372.0% respectively; moreover, imports of Watches (MOP5.21 billion) and Handbags & wallets (MOP4.47 billion) ballooned by 322.7% and 269.9% respectively. Imports of Mobile phones (MOP7.73 billion) shot up by 705.3%. Besides, imports of Fuels & lubricants (MOP2.23 billion) and Construction materials (MOP1.30 billion) registered respective growth of 6.3% and 95.8%.
External merchandise trade totalled MOP64.54 billion from January to May 2021, up by 125.9% compared with MOP28.57 billion a year earlier.