Macau, China, 3 Feb – Exports from Macau in 2009 recorded a sharp drop of 52.1 percent to 7.67 billion patacas (US$958.75 million) compared to 2008, the region’s Department of Statistics and Census Services has reported.

The figures released on Tuesday show that imports in turn fell 14.2 percent to 36.90 billion patacas (US$4.6125 billion), generating a trade deficit of 29.23 billion patacas, more than the 27.01 billion patacas in 2008.

Based on these numbers, the imports/exports coverage rate fell to 20.8 percent, 16.4 percentage points off the 2008 figure.

By imported merchandise’s origin country, in 2009 Macau’s acquisitions from China fell 31.6 percent while those from the European Union rose 10.1 percent, compared to 2008.

In December Macau’s exports totalled 680 million patacas, for a year-on-year drop of 25.5 percent, while imports rose by 10.6 percent to 3.62 billion patacas, generating a trade deficit of 2.94 billion patacas. (macauhub)