Macao's trade deficit for the first five months of 2010 widened by 27.4 percent over the same period of last year to 13.76 billion patacas (1.72 billion U.S. dollars), according to the figures released on Wednesday by the city's Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).

The city's total value of merchandise export fell by 7.6 percent year-on-year to 3.03 billion patacas (378 million U.S. dollars), while that of import grew by 19.3 percent to 16.79 billion patacas (2.09 billion U.S. dollars), the figures indicated. The exports/imports ratio went down by 5.3 percentage points year- on-year to 18.0 percent in the period.

Analyzed by destination of exports, value of merchandise export to Hong Kong from January to May 2010 increased by 21.8 percent year-on-year, while that to the Chinese mainland, the United States and the European Union decreased by 2.6 percent, 56.5 percent and 47.8 percent, respectively.

Exports of textile and garment amounted to 632 million patacas (79 million U.S. dollars), down substantially by 50.5 percent year- on-year to account for 20.8 percent of the total merchandise export. The value of non-textile exports grew by 19.7 percent to 2. 4 billion patacas (300 million U.S. dollars) in the period, with that of Copper and Jewelry rising notably by 121.9 percent and 101. 5 percent, respectively.

Regarding the country of origin of imported goods, value of merchandise import from the Chinese mainland and the EU expanded by 21.4 percent and 23 percent respectively year-on-year in the period, according to the DSEC.