Imports slump in January

Macau’s total import of merchandise has decreased 18.5 percent year-on-year to MOP6.96 billion, while the merchandise trade deficit now amounts to MOP5.98 billion, according to the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC). In January there was a year-on-year decrease of 21.4 percent and 15.4 percent on merchandise imported from mainland China (MOP2.71 billion) and the European Union (MOP1.63 billion), respectively. The latest available data indicates that merchandise exports amounted to MOP973 million in January, up by 1.5 percent year-on-year. The value of re-exports grew by 8.4 percent to MOP834 million, while the value of domestic exports dropped 26.2 percent to MOP139 million, with that of tobacco (MOP27 million) falling by 49.9 percent. External trade in merchandise reached MOP7.93 billion in January, down by 16.5 percent compared to MOP9.49 billion a year earlier.

EU marks Women’s Day with seminar

The European Union Academic Program in Macau (EUAP-M) will celebrate International Women’s Day, March 8, with a seminar on “Women and Gender Politics: The Contemporary Situations in Europe and Macau.” The session will commence at the University of Macau’s Tai Fung Lecture Hall with speakers from the university. EUAP-M, established in 2012, is a partnership between UM and the Institute of European Studies of Macau (IEEM), co-financed by the European Union. It aims to raise awareness of the EU among the general public of Macau and students of all levels.