(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-04-30 09:23

Macao Special Administrative Region recorded a trade deficit of 6.37 billion patacas ($800 million) in the first three months of 2008 as the value of total exports fell by 7.1 percent year-on-year, according to the figures released Tuesday by Macao's Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).

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The figures indicated that the exports/imports ratio from January to March this year decreased by 8.5 percentage points over the same period of last year, and a trade deficit of 2.44 billion patacas was logged for March 2008.

The value of textile and garment exports in the first three months of 2008, accounting for 59.5 percent of total exports, declined by 11.1 percent over the same period of 2007, while exports of non-textile fell slightly by 0.6 percent.

DSEC also said in a press release that the value of exports to the USA, the Chinese mainland and the EU decreased by 3.6 percent, 33.1 percent and 32.3 percent year-on-year respectively in the period.

Meanwhile, the main suppliers of imported goods to Macao concentrated in the Asian region, and the value of imports from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, comprising 51 percent of the total imports in the period, rose by 9.5 percent and 14.1 percent year-on-year respectively, according to the DSEC figures.

In addition, Macao also imported more fuels and lubricants, consumer goods and capital goods in the first three months of 2008, as the imports of the three items expanded by 36.2 percent, 28.6 percent and 3.7 percent respectively year-on-year, but local imports of raw materials and semi-manufactures decreased by 8.1 percent, said DSEC.