The Macau balance of trade deficit increased 16.3 percent year-on-year in January to 5.06 billion patacas (US$632.5 million), the region’s Statistics and Census Bureau said Wednesday in Macau.

The deficit was the result of exports totalling 622 million patacas, or 4.7 percent less than in January 2011, and of imports totalling 5.68 billion patacas, a year-on-year rise of 16.3 percent.

In January goods exports to Hong Kong and the United States totalled 305 million patacas and 48 million patacas, respectively dropping 5.1 percent and 29.6 percent, respectively, whilst exports to mainland China totalled 79 million patacas rising 14.6 percent against January 2011.

In the same period, Macau imported goods worth 1.73 billion patacas and 1.44 billion patacas from Mainland China and the European Union, respectively, or 23.9 and 9.4 percent more, respectively, against the same period of 2011. (macauhub)