Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for May 2012 amounted to MOP683 million, up by 15.9% year-on-year, of which value of re-exports (MOP472 million) and domestic exports (MOP210 million) increased by 20.2% and 7.5% respectively. Total merchandise import amounted to MOP5.97 billion, up by 23.5% year-on-year. Merchandise trade deficit amounted to MOP5.29 billion for May 2012. In the first five months of 2012, total value of merchandise export increased by 18.8% year-on-year to MOP3.30 billion, attributable to a 26.6% increase in re-exports (MOP2.32 billion) when domestic exports (MOP978 million) rose by 3.7%; meanwhile, total value of merchandise import increased by 26.8% to MOP28.86 billion. Merchandise trade deficit for the first five months of 2012 amounted to MOP25.56 billion. Merchandise export to Hong Kong (MOP1.65 billion) and Mainland China (MOP529 million) in the first five months of 2012 were principally re-exports, up by 39.2% and 14.6% year-on-year respectively; meanwhile, merchandise export to the USA (MOP219 million) and the EU (MOP141 million) were primarily domestic exports, down by 12.1% and 14.7% respectively. Exports of Non-textile (MOP2.84 billion) in the first five months of 2012 expanded by 29.3%, of which exports of Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof (MOP521 million) and Articles for casino (MOP96 million) surged by 126.7% and 63.6% respectively year-on-year; however, exports of Textile & garment (MOP464 million) registered a decrease of 20.4%. Domestic exports of Tobacco (MOP222 million) rose by 47.2% year-on-year, while that of Knitted or crocheted garment (MOP164 million) and Non-knitted or non-crocheted garment (MOP138 million) declined by 20.3% and 24.1% respectively. In the first five months of 2012, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP9.25 billion) and the EU (MOP6.64 billion) expanded by 31.4% and 19.4% respectively year-on-year. Imports of Consumer goods rose by 28.1% to MOP17.71 billion, with imports of Watches (MOP2.12 billion), Handbags & wallets (MOP1.63 billion) and Motor cars & motorcycles (MOP1.27 billion) increasing by 53.9%, 44.2% and 59.3% respectively. Moreover, imports of Capital goods (MOP5.38 billion) registered a year-on-year increase of 33.8%. In the first five months of 2012, total value of external merchandise trade amounted to MOP32.16 billion, up by 25.9% compared with MOP25.54 billion a year earlier.
