News

Published by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and produced by 100 Plus Cultural Creative Development Ltd., the eighth edition of C2 Magazine will be launched on 3 August. In this latest edition, a Macao comics publishing company and fledgling local cartoonists were invited to share their perspectives and opinions on the development of the animation and comics industry in Macao. Macao’s animation and comics industry is still in its early developing stage; however, a number of talents can be found in the territory. In the section “Feature”, the founder of a Macao comics publishing company with weekly publications, Matthew Fong, and Macao fledgling comic artist of C - La in Macau, were invited to discuss how works from Macao can get into the Chinese animation and comic market. There isn’t much tradition of consuming artworks in Macao, and IaoHin Gallery is one of the few private commercial galleries in Macao. In this edition, “Chit Chat” invites the director of IaoHin Gallery, Florence Lam, to share her ideas on how a gallery can attract more people to appreciate art. “Extravaganza” wraps up the 2015 edition of the Forum on Cultural Industries (Macao), in which experts from all over the world shared their opinions and experiences on how to develop the cultural industries in Macao. Recently, the Van Gogh Museum has been providing consultancy services to private museums. Experts provide consultancy in areas such as the management of famous paintings and museum security systems. In “Around the Globe”, we learn how the Van Gogh Museum provides these services to extend its financial resources. In this edition of “Blogs”, columnists Cheong Sio Pang, Lio Chi Heng, Eugenia Lo, Lam Fai, SiSi Chang, Mu Yu and Ruby Chen share their unique perspectives on the development of artistic and cultural creations. C2 is a trilingual magazine (in Chinese, Portuguese and English), published online on the first Monday of each month. Readers are welcome to browse or download the magazine at www.c2magazine.mo. The new email subscription function is now available. Please simply click the “subscribe” button on the right corner of our webpage and enter your email address to subscribe our monthly C2 magazine. For the latest updates, you may also visit the magazine’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/c2magazine.macau, or on WeChat, by clicking “add friend” and inputting “c2magazine” in the ID column. For enquiries, please contact the magazine through the email c2magazine.macau@gmail.com.
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The exhibition “Artworks by Police Officers 2015”, which is organised by the Macao Public Security Police Force (PSP) and co-organised by the Macao Foundation, will be held from 3 to 9 August at the Exhibition Hall of the UNESCO Centre of Macao located at Alameda Dr. Carlos d'Assumpção, Macao. The exhibition will feature representative works by the students of the PSP art, calligraphy and painting class including two-dimensional works such as sketches, watercolour paintings, acrylic paintings, oil paintings, Chinese paintings, calligraphy and also three-dimensional works such as wooden art pieces, ceramic, stained glass and tie-dye artworks. Our Force hopes that, through the exhibition platform at the UNESCO Centre, more members of the public and visitors can know more about the artistic standard of police officers in Macao. Police officers can also showcase their healthy quality of life and have artistic interactions and exchanges with the public with a view to promoting communication and mutual trust between the police and the public as well as building a better community together. The general public and visitors are welcome to the exhibition and admission is free. Our Force wishes to express its heartfelt gratitude for the support of different sectors. *Annex Table
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The 2015 Guangdong and Macao Branded Products Fair (GMBPF), jointly organised by Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute and the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province opens today (30 July) at the Macau Fisherman’s Wharf Convention and Exhibition Centre. A series of trade and business discussions, leisure and entertainment activities were held and a total of 113 procurement and business matching sessions were held on the first day of the event. Official opening ceremony was held this morning with officiating guests Mr Leong Vai Tac, Secretary for Economy and Finance of Macao SAR, Mr Wu Ken, Deputy Secretary-General of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province , Mr Wang Xindong, Secretary-General of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government of the Macao SAR, Mr Guo Tao, Deputy Director-General of General Affairs Department of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR, Mr Jackson Chang, President of Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), Mr Ma Hua, Deputy Director of the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province, Mr Ma Iao Lai, President of the Macau Chamber of Commerce, Mr Gao Guohui, Deputy Secretary-General of Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, Mr Yang Wenlong, Deputy Mayor of Zhongshan Municipal People’s Government, Mr Wu Guojie, Deputy Mayor of Jiangmen Municipal People’s Government, Mr Li Rifang, Deputy Mayor of Mr Yangjiang Municipal People’s Government and Mr Pan Qiang, Deputy Secretary-General of Maoming Municipal People’s Government. Prior to the official opening ceremony, the officiating guests visited the exhibition venue to have a brief encounter with exhibitors from both Guangdong Province and Macao for exchange of ideas. Fruitful Outcomes Set New Milestone for Co-operation between Guangdong and Macao Mr Jackson Chang, President of IPIM, said at his speech that Guangdong and Macao had always been co-operating closely with one another, and several breakthroughs have been achieved this year which gave rise to a new milestone. The CEPA Agreement between the Mainland and Macau on Achieving Basic Liberalisation of Trade in Services in Guangdong, and the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone, successively launched in the first half of this year, would largely boost the development between Guangdong and Macao, promote industrial transformation, upgrading and competitiveness of Guangdong and Macao. If Macao young entrepreneurs and enterprises could seize the historic opportunities of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative, “Internet+” and other national development strategies to expand their businesses and to look for better job opportunities, it would then effectively promote Macao’s moderate economic diversification and lay a solid foundation for sustained growth in the future. Mr Wu Ken, Deputy Secretary-General of Guangdong Province said in his speech that in recent years, both regions have endeavoured to deepen and implement the “Framework Agreement on Co-operation between Guangdong and Macao” and fostered closer economic relationship. New progress has been achieved in various projects. Despite the challenging market conditions, import and export trade between the two regions in the first half of this year hit US1.06 billion representing an increase of 3.3% year-on-year. This reflected enormous potential and ample space for mutual development in bilateral trade and sharing of resources. After years of efforts, GMBPF has, by integrating the convention and exhibition resources of Macao and the manufacturing strengths of Guangdong, earned itself a ‘golden’ reputation as the Fair for trade and economic co-operation for the two regions. GMBPF was also broadly recognized by enterprises, consumers and visitors from near and afar. Promotion Seminar to Deepen Co-operation and Exchange between Shenzhen and Macao To deepen the economic and trade collaboration between Guangdong and Macao, fully utilise the trade co-operation platform set by the GMBPF, as well as introduce the economic and trade developments and Shenzhen’s business co-operation opportunities to the industrial and business sectors of Macao and Portuguese-speaking Countries (PSCs), the Economic, Trade and Information Commission of Shenzhen Municipality oragnised the “Shenzhen-Macao Economic and Trade Seminar 2015” in the Rocks Hotel at the Macau Fisherman’s Wharf. At the meeting, Mr Gao Guohui, Deputy Secretary-General of Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government and Mr Jackson Chang, President of IPIM gave speeches and they hoped that Shenzhen and Macao will continue to maintain close trade and economic co-operation. Both parties also briefed on the outcome of the trade and economic co-operation between Shenzhen and Macao in recent years and the competitive edges of different industries. Recent economic development of Shenzhen, experience of Mainland-Macao collaboration, as well as trade and economic co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries were also discussed during the meeting. Guangdong Enterprises Make Use of the Macao Trade and Economic Platform to Explore New Markets Every year, a number of Guangdong enterprises will make use of the Macao trade and economic platform to introduce their products to the city or explore overseas markets. A first-time participating enterprise from Zhongshan has used GMBPF as the stepping stone to market fruits nationally recognised as free from substances hazardous to health such as the ‘red meat dragon fruit’, pomegranate and pineapple. As Zhongshan is in proximity with Macao geographically, this enterprise is seeking agents to mutually explore the Macao market through the economic and trade facilitation measures of Guangdong and Macao. Another first-time participant from Shunde district of Guangdong is also confident in the effectiveness of GMBPF, this Shunde enterprise is the sole manufacturer and distributor of a reputable kitchenware brand from the USA. They have brought to GMBPF 500 pieces of their bestselling fresh fruit juice blender to test the market, if favourable results could be achieved, they will consider increasing the number of products to take part in GMBPF again next year, and may also consider opening a store in Macao to help market the products abroad through the economic and trade platform of Macao. The Organiser has recorded 113 procurement and business matching sessions on the first day of GMBPF. Free Admission – Trade Visitors and the General Public are Welcome GMBPF provides business opportunities and entertainment through an array of events and activities, and offers loads of discounted products. The general public, as well as trade visitors, both home and abroad, are invited to make full use of this opportunity. Tomorrow morning, the “Promotion Seminar on the Three Centres for Trade and Economic Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” will be held to foster exchanges and co-operation, and serves as a platform for enterprises on both sides. The entertaining ‘Celebrity Kitchen’ featuring live cooking demonstration and ‘Maria Cordeiro’s Assistant Cook Contest ’ will be held in the afternoon. Maria Cordeiro will appear at GMBPF to meet the public and to demonstrate her cooking skills. To win prizes and obtain more special offers for shopping, all are welcomed to take part in the on-site games and the special campaign “WeChat Shake” . A “3D Celebrity Cooking Pictures Studio” will be set up, an opportunity to shoot and print-for-free a personal picture with 3D images of Maria Cordeiro. Free shuttle bus service will be provided during the GMBPF from 11am to 8pm from 31 July to2 Aug (Fri, Sat, Sun). For details of GMBPF, please call +853-87989636 or visit the website at: www.guangdongmacaofair.com
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President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ung Vai Meng and the Vice President of the Macau Ho’s Clan Association, Ho Kuai Leng received members from the Macau Films & Television Productions and Culture Association and a group of filmmaking professionals from Hong Kong on 13 July and visited Macao’s Cinemateque‧Passion and the building of the Macau Ho’s Clan. Director General Chan Lai Sze and Vice President Ho Sio Man of the Macau Films & Television Productions and Culture Association were also present, along with Hong Kong Film Directors Sam Leung Tak Sum and Fire Lee and Executive Producer Ng Kin Hung. The group visited the Cinematheque．Passion located at the Travessa da Paixão, next to the Ruins of St. Paul’s. During the visit, President Ung Vai Meng introduced the cinema’s history and layout as well as the “Historic Centre of Macao” from past to present, giving the guests a deep and intimate insight into Macao’s cultural background and helping those seeking inspiration for new film concepts. In addition, the guests also visited the building of the Macau Ho’s Clan, of which the Cinematheque．Passion is part. President Ung explained that when works on the combined cultural creation and exhibition complex of the Cinematheque．Passion and the building of the Macau Ho's Clan are complete, the space will be open to the general public. It is hoped that it will become an integrated cultural and lifestyle space that creates a new point of interest for residents and visitors and provide a display of Macao’s cultural diversity.
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To fulfil the need of the citizens and effectively exercise the functions of the CCAC to receive complaints and reports at its branch offices, the Branch Office at Taipa of the CCAC will, starting from August, adjust its office hours to Monday to Friday from 2:30pm to 7:00pm (closed on public holidays). Launched in August 2009, the Branch Office at Taipa of the CCAC originally opens from Monday to Friday between 4:00pm to 8:00pm. Over the years, statistics showed that citizens mostly used the service of the Office before 7:00pm. Therefore, in order to better serve the citizens of Taipa, the new office hours of the Branch Office at Taipa will be effective in August. It will serve the citizens earlier at 2:30pm. Establishment of branch offices is a significant step taken by the CCAC to promote integrity building. Currently, the two branch offices are located at Taipa and Areia Preta. The Branch Office at Taipa is located at Rua de Nam Keng, Edf. Nova City, Bloco 4, r/c, Loja C, Taipa (beside Pooi To Taipa Kindergarten). For enquiries or appointments of making complaints and reports, please call 2836 3636 during office hours. The Branch Office at Areia Preta, located at Rua 1.o de Maio, n.os 68-72, Edf. U Wa, r/c (Tel: 2845 3636), opens from Monday to Friday between 9:00am to 7:00pm (no lunch break).
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The Online Appointment System of the Immigration Department was launched in March 2014. The different types of service were extended in May 2015 to persons who need to apply for ‘Authorization to Stay for Workers’ as ‘domestic helpers’ or ‘specialized experts’, persons who need to apply for ‘Residence Authorization’ (not applicable to holders of a “PRC Permit for Travelling to Hong Kong and Macao” and persons who have registered and made an appointment upon arrival at Macao), and persons who need to apply for “Extension of ‘Authorization to Stay’” (including ‘ordinary extension’ and ‘exceptional extension’). In order to cope with the development of society and enhance efficiency, we are going to add a new service item of the “‘Special Authorization to Stay’ for Non-resident Students” (individual application) to our Online Appointment System (at noon) on 3 August 2015. Applicants can access the Online Appointment System at the official website of the Public Security Police Force (http://www.fsm.gov.mo/psp), which is in Chinese, Portuguese and English, to make, change or cancel an appointment. They may select any time slot within the office hours of the coming 30 days. If the selected date is fully booked, they will have to pick another date. Upon the request of the applicants, a reminder will be sent to them in the form of SMS (local mobile phone numbers only) and / or email 1 day before the scheduled date. In addition to the Online Appointment System, applicants can proceed to the Immigration Department Office Building to make an appointment. Should you have any queries, please call the Immigration Department’s 24-hour enquiry hotline at 2872 5488.
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The 2015 Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Film Production Investment and Trade Fair (hereinafter “the Fair”), co-organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the Hong Kong Film Development Council and the Guangdong Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, is now calling for submissions of Macao film projects. All interested parties from the film industries are welcome to submit their works. The call for submissions is open from 31 July to 14 August. The Fair will be held from 23 to 24 September in Macao, with the aim of providing a high quality, convenient communication platform for film investors and producers of the three regions, establishing investment opportunities and pairing services for the film industry, in order to cultivate film professionals and promote the development of the film industry in the three regions. Applicants of selected film projects will meet up with the investors at the Fair to seek venture capital and opportunities for collaboration. Applicants must be 18 years old or above and must hold a valid Macao S.A.R. Resident Identity Card. Each applicant may submit one unfinished film only; he/she must be the director of the film and have directed one feature film or two short films already screened to the public. The film project must be a feature film. The adjudicating panel, a group of professionals from the film industry invited by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, will select a maximum of ten film projects for the Fair based on four criteria: creativity of the story, experience and executive ability of the applicant, experience and executive ability of the executive producer and production team, and rationale of budgeting. Application forms can be downloaded from the Cultural Affairs Bureau website (www.icm.gov.mo) and from the Macao Cultural and Creative Industries Website (www.macaucci.com). Applicants should submit the completed application form and all required documents to: Cultural Affairs Bureau—Department for the Promotion of Cultural and Creative Industries (No. 567, Av. da Praia Grande, Edif. BNU, 12th floor A-D, Macao) before 14 August. For enquiries, please contact Mr. Chong, staff member of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, through tel. no. (853) 2892 4040, during office hours.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that visitors on package tours totalled 707,000 in June 2015, down by 17.5% year-on-year. Package tour visitors from Mainland China (566,000) decreased by 16.0% year-on-year, and those from Taiwan (46,000), Hong Kong (21,000), the Republic of Korea (16,000) and Japan (13,000) dropped by 26.4%, 23.6%, 42.2% and 25.3% respectively. Visitors arriving on package tours decreased by 16.7% year-on-year to 576,000; meanwhile, visitors joining local tours totalled 131,000, down by 20.8%. In the first half year of 2015, visitors on package tours totalled 4,944,000, up by 1.4% year-on-year; those arriving on package tours increased by 1.3% to 4,031,000. Outbound residents using services of travel agencies totalled 121,000 in June 2015, down by 3.5% year-on-year. Those travelling on package tours decreased by 12.0% to 47,000, and the main destinations were Mainland China (74.1% of total), Taiwan (9.4%) and Hong Kong (5.3%). Due to the outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, residents travelling to the Republic of Korea on package tours tumbled by 83.8%. In the first half year of 2015, outbound residents using services of travel agencies totalled 737,000, up by 3.9% year-on-year. There were 102 hotels and guesthouses operating at the end of June 2015, providing 30,000 guest rooms, up by 7.2% year-on-year. Number of guest rooms in 5-star hotels totalled 20,000, accounting for 66.6% of the total supply. A total of 859,000 guests checked into hotels and guesthouses in June 2015, down by 1.9% year-on-year. Guests from Mainland China (518,000) and Taiwan (33,000) decreased by 7.0% and 0.7% respectively, while those from Hong Kong (139,000) increased by 24.8%. The average length of stay of guests held stable as June 2014, at 1.4 nights. The average occupancy rate of hotels and guesthouses dropped notably by 10.6 percentage points year-on-year to 73.9%, with that of 3-star hotels leading at 75.7% and yet showing a decrease of 7.1 percentage points year-on-year. Moreover, the occupancy rate of 5-star hotels dropped by 10.7 percentage points to 75.3%. In the first half year of 2015, hotel guests totalled 4,908,000, down by 7.6% year-on-year; the average occupancy rate stood at 78.1%, a decrease of 7.8 percentage points. Visitor-guests accounted for 69.6% of the total overnight visitors, down by 0.7 percentage points year-on-year.
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In response to local residents’ recent concern over the quality of water supplies for newly built public housing estates, the Government attaches great importance to the issue and has initiated a series of follow-up work. Water quality tests have recently been conducted for household water supply systems of new public housing estates. The Office of the Spokesperson of the Government held a joint press conference on 29 July with all relevant departments to announce the test results, which showed that the lead content of the water samples tested complies with World Health Organization (WHO) safety standards. Also, the Government has formulated a contingency plan for potential incidents related to water safety. The press conference was hosted by the Spokesperson of the Government, Mr Victor Chan, at 3pm in the multi-function conference hall of Government Headquarters. Those present included Chairman of the Administration Committee of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM), Mr Vong Iao Lek; Director of the Health Bureau, Mr Lei Chin Ion; Director of the Marine and Water Bureau, Ms Wong Soi Man; Director of the Housing Bureau, Mr Ieong Kam Wa; and Coordinator of the Infrastructure Development Office, Mr Chau Vai Man. Mr Victor Chan stated that the Government and the Chief Executive have been high concerned about drinking water safety for residents. In view of the public housing water supply situation of the nearby region, the Government has launched a series of preventive measures. A number of departments have recently launched an inter-departmental cooperation and communication mechanism, and held an inter-departmental meeting on public housing tap water quality and safety. The meeting was immediately followed by a series of water sample tests for household water supply systems of newly built public housing estates, to assess the situation regarding lead content in water. The Chief Executive also held a meeting on 28 July to hear reports from all departments concerned. He instructed the departments to set residents’ health as their first priority, and collaborate to develop contingency plans. Mr Victor Chan emphasised that Government monitoring of water quality will continue, to ensure safety and stability of water supplies. The Director of the Housing Bureau, Mr Ieong Kam Wa, said that, starting from 17 July, the 50 new public housing estates completed since 2007 are being targeted for water testing. Staff from the inter-departmental task force collect samples from the management office and the unoccupied units of every building. Water samples from the public water supply pipeline network are also collected, and sent to the IACM laboratory for lead content tests. After discussion, the inter-departmental task force decided that another phase of water quality tests will be carried out, for the 12 older public housing estates. Mr Ieong pointed out that the Government has now stipulated that the management companies of public estates must schedule a water tank and water supply facility cleaning at least every six months, to ensure safety of water supplies. The Chairman of the Administration Committee of the IACM, Mr Vong Iao Lek, presented the results of the water sample tests, which show that in the 49 water samples collected by the management offices of 50 public housing buildings, the lead content complied with the WHO safety standards, with lead contents lower than 10ug/L. In the samples of this round of tests, the highest lead content recorded was 3.5ug/L. Lab tests have been completed for 70 percent of the samples collected from unoccupied public housing units, and no excessive amounts of lead have been found. It is estimated that all tests can be completed within this week. The Director of the Marine and Water Bureau, Ms Wong Soi Man, stated that Macao and mainland China have a well-designed cooperation mechanism for monitoring the safety of water supplies to Macao. Every day, the Macao Water Supply Company Limited conducts tests on the quality of water from the water supply plant; it regularly submits water quality reports to the Marine and Water Bureau. The IACM laboratory carries out regular tests of samples from the water supply plant and the public water supply network. Throughout the years, the heavy metal content of Macao’s public water supply system has been in line with the WHO standards, indicating that Macao’s water quality is safe and stable. Ms Wong also mentioned that the Government has formulated its water supply safety contingency plan, to tackle potential incidents related to water supplies. When necessary, the Government will immediately activate the contingency plan and establish an inter-departmental working unit to promptly set up temporary water supply stations, to provide safe drinking water for the affected residents. In addition, the Government launched the Guidelines on Tap Water System Maintenance for Buildings last year, to promote improvements in maintenance of tap water systems by the property owners and management bodies of residential buildings, to ensure water safety. The guidelines are now being implemented on a pilot basis in public housing estates. The management service tenders for public housing estates already include the guidelines as part of the tender requirements. In addition, the Government will establish an industry directory to help property owners find appropriate suppliers for management, repair and maintenance of their water supply systems. The Coordinator of the Infrastructure Development Office, Mr Chau Vai Man, stated that the Government has a regulated review mechanism for the construction materials used in public housing estates. This includes a stipulation that all construction materials should strictly follow the standards specified in the tender document and set forth by the designer. Before the materials are transported into a construction site, the inspection company commissioned by the Government will carry out tests and inspections of the materials. Quality control units will verify the information on the materials entering the construction site. He emphasised that the construction materials used in public housing estates of Macao strictly follow international standards. All water supply pipes are made of copper. The soldering materials used between the pipes comprise mainly silver, copper, and lead-free soldering. The Director of the Health Bureau, Mr Lei Chin Ion, stated that the process of water sampling mainly followed WHO guidelines. He said that in the event of a water supply incident, the bureau will deploy medical staff to carry out lead content blood tests for residents of the affected buildings. If an excessive level of lead is found in any blood samples, the affected individuals will be evaluated by the hospital for follow-up and treatment. He emphasised that the Health Bureau has sufficient staff and facilities to manage the tests, evaluation and treatment. At the same time, the bureau will enhance public education on how to reduce lead exposure in daily life. He said the risk to the human body from lead in drinking water depends on whether the individual has other exposure to lead. If there is no other exposure to lead, the trace amounts of lead in drinking water will not affect health; and if the lead content in water does not exceed 10g/100ml, it will not affect human health. In general, if there is no further exposure to lead, a somewhat elevated lead level in blood will become normal again in a few months.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for June 2015 amounted to MOP923 million, up by 17.6% year-on-year; value of re-exports grew by 27.7% to MOP790 million, of which re-exports of Clocks & watches expanded by 58.0%; however, value of domestic exports dropped by 20.0% to MOP133 million, of which domestic exports of Tobacco decreased by 25.2% to MOP24 million. Total merchandise import edged down by 0.1% year-on-year to MOP6.76 billion. Merchandise trade deficit amounted to MOP5.84 billion. In the second quarter of 2015, total value of merchandise export (MOP2.75 billion) rose by 8.2% year-on-year, but that of merchandise import (MOP20.48 billion) dropped by 3.5%, resulting in a trade deficit of MOP17.73 billion. In the first half year of 2015, total value of merchandise export grew by 8.7% year-on-year to MOP5.45 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP4.53 billion) increased by 12.1%, but that of domestic exports (MOP922 million) decreased by 5.1%. Total value of merchandise import fell slightly by 0.3% to MOP42.67 billion. Merchandise trade deficit widened to MOP37.21 billion for the first half year of 2015. Analysed by destination, merchandise export to Hong Kong (MOP3.37 billion) and Mainland China (MOP847 million) in the first half year of 2015 increased by 10.5% and 20.1% year-on-year, while export to the EU (MOP131 million) and the USA (MOP97 million) decreased by 16.2% and 39.9% respectively. Exports of Non-textiles increased by 9.3% year-on-year to MOP5.09 billion, of which value of Clocks & watches (MOP792 million) and Electronic components (MOP394 million) rose by 35.1% and 27.7% respectively, but that of Machines, apparatus & parts (MOP618 million) dropped by 33.8%. Exports of Textiles & garments totalled MOP367 million, up by 1.5%. By country of origin, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP15.80 billion) in the first half year of 2015 increased by 13.7% year-on-year, while import from the EU (MOP9.64 billion) fell by 11.2%. Imports of Consumer goods dropped by 8.2% to MOP25.15 billion, with imports of Gold jewellery (MOP3.43 billion) decreasing by 32.2%, but that of Food & beverages (MOP5.84 billion) increasing by 6.1%. Moreover, imports of Mobile phones (MOP4.39 billion) expanded by 43.4%. External merchandise trade reached MOP48.12 billion in the first half year of 2015, up by 0.6% compared with MOP47.83 billion a year earlier.
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