MACAO, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Macao's total merchandise import swelled by 267.6 percent year on year to 15.69 billion patacas (about 1.96 billion U.S. dollars) in May 2021, while total merchandise export went up 59.6 percent to 990 million patacas, the special administrative region's statistical service said on Tuesday.
The latest report from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) showed that the imports of mobile phones, gold jewelry, watches and beauty, cosmetic and skincare products rocketed by 2,616.0 percent, 2,362.4 percent, 1,145.1 percent and 846.5 percent respectively, whereas that of other textile made-up articles declined by 56.1 percent.
The value of re-exports rose by 64.2 percent to 820 million patacas in May, with that of diamond and diamond jewelry, wine and watches surging by 843.0 percent, 663.9 percent and 248.0 percent respectively. Meanwhile, the value of domestic exports grew by 40.8 percent to 171 million patacas, the DSEC report added.
Merchandise trade deficit in May totaled 14.70 billion patacas.
From January to May this year, the total value of merchandise import expanded by 142.7 percent year on year to 59.03 billion patacas, whereas the total value of merchandise export increased by 29.9 percent year on year to 5.51 billion patacas.
Merchandise trade deficit totaled 53.52 billion patacas for the first five months of 2021, up by 33.44 billion patacas from a year earlier.
Analyzed by place of origin, merchandise import from the mainland and the European Union in the first five months surged by 119.9 percent and 184.2 percent to 19.83 billion patacas and 18.48 billion patacas respectively year on year.
Analyzed by destination, merchandise export to the mainland rose by 17.3 percent year on year to 755 million patacas from January to May 2021. Exports to the Hong Kong SAR and the United States grew by 37.7 percent and 57.1 percent respectively year on year, whereas exports to the EU dropped by 3.6 percent.
External merchandise trade totaled 64.54 billion patacas from January to May 2021, up by 125.9 percent from a year earlier. (1 pataca equals 0.1250 U.S. dollar) Enditem
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