Macau's merchandise imports dropped 9.4 percent to 102.3 billion patacas year on year in the first nine months of the year, the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC) has announced.
According to a statement by the bureau on Friday, total merchandise exports rose 3.0 percent to 10.1 billion patacas, resulting in a merchandise trade balance deficit of 92.2 billion patacas.
Domestic exports accounted for nearly 85 percent of all merchandise exports.
Imports of beauty, cosmetic and skincare products, which continued to be Macau's top import segment, fell 19.3 percent to 14.9 billion patacas. Food and beverage imports, the number-two import segment, rose 28.3 percent to 13.6 billion patacas.
Diamond and diamond jewellery exports increased 18.3 percent to 1.5 billion patacas.
Some 76.8 percent of Macau's exports went to Hong Kong. Only 1.4 percent of Macau's exports were shipped to the EU, while 4.9 percent went to the US.
Mainland China (30.0 percent), France (19.1 percent) and Italy (11.2 percent) were Macau top merchandise imports between January and September.
