
China, Macao SAR
Global Trade Profile β’ Rank #143 Exporter
$2.18B
Total Exports (2023)
$11.73B
Total Imports (2023)
$9.55B
Trade Deficit
#143
Export Ranking
Trade Flow Visualization
Interactive map showing China, Macao SAR's top trading partners. Green lines represent exports, red lines represent imports.
#143
Export Rank
$2.18B
Total Exports
$11.73B
Total Imports
-$9.55B
Trade Balance
27
Trade Partners
π Top Export Destinations
China, Hong Kong SAR
China
USA
Singapore
Italy
Netherlands
Malaysia
Viet Nam
SwitzerlandTop Export Products
π₯ Top Import Sources
China
China, Hong Kong SAR
USA
France
Japan
Italy
Viet Nam
Singapore
United Kingdom
GermanyTop Import Products
π Historical Trade Trends (1995-2023)
29 Years
Data Coverage
29
Data Points
π
Trend Direction
China, Macao SAR Trade Analysis 2023
π Overview
China, Macao SAR stands as the world's #143 largest exporter and #109 largest importer, demonstrating emerging market dynamics.
The trade profile reveals a deficit of 9.55 billion, reflecting import dependencies for growth.
The country maintains active trading relationships with 20 major partners, creating a highly diversified trade network.
Monthly trade flows average $1.16B, generating continuous economic activity across logistics, finance, and trade services.
π’ Export Markets
Export Market Concentration
Export concentration shows China, Hong Kong SAR as the dominant market at 72.5%. The top three markets control 84.0% of exports.
Market Concentration Risk
Regional patterns reveal strong East Asian integration. Secondary markets (Italy, Netherlands, Malaysia) provide $74.56M in additional trade.
π¦ Import Sources
Import Source Concentration
China, Macao SAR relies heavily on China for imports (34.1%),creating supply chain concentration risk.
Manufacturing inputs come primarily from China, Viet Nam, Rep. of Korea, Indonesia, reflecting deep integration into Asian production networks. China's dominant position at 4.00 billion encompasses electronics components, textiles, machinery parts, and consumer goods, creating both efficiency benefits and concentration risks.
The USA provides 613.97 million (5.2%) in imports, concentrated in agricultural products, aircraft, pharmaceuticals, and advanced technology.The top 10 import sources account for 84.5% of total imports, with the remaining 16% distributed among 10 other suppliers.
Regional sourcing patterns reveal strong ASEAN integration with 5 Southeast Asian nations providing 969.82 million (8.3%) of imports. European suppliers including France (437.39M), Italy (399.43M), Germany (214.27M) focus on luxury goods, machinery, and specialized chemicals.
Supply chain resilience strategies increasingly emphasize "China Plus One" approaches, with Viet Nam, Thailandemerging as alternative manufacturing bases. The geographic proximity of major suppliers balances efficiency with risk diversification.
π¦ Product Composition
π Export Products
Top Export Products
China, Macao SAR's export economy centers on diversified industrial production, with the leading export being of precious metal (excluding silver) whether or not plated or clad with precious metal, and parts thereofat $458.16 million, accounting for 21.0% of total exports.
Electronics, semiconductors, and machinery contribute 354.34 million or 16.3% of exports.
The automotive sector's dominance is evident in the export portfolio, with . This automotive specialization reflects decades of manufacturing excellence, continuous innovation in fuel efficiency and hybrid technology, and established global brand recognition.
The transition to electric and hybrid vehicles is captured in export data, with 5 categories specifically related to alternative propulsion systems, totaling $265.92M.
Beyond automotive, China, Macao SAR maintains strong positions in specialized equipment, electronic components (354.34M), and Jewellery, Games, Wrist-watches.
The top 20 export products collectively account for 63.9% of total exports, revealing moderate concentration with room for further diversification.
π Import Products
Top Import Products
Import requirements center on of precious metal (excluding silver) whether or not plated or clad with precious metal, and parts thereof at 1.03 billion (8.8%), indicating technology and machinery requirements.
Beyond energy, critical imports include of precious metal (excluding silver) whe... (1.03B, 8.8%), Telephones for cellular networks or for ... (725.29M, 6.2%), consisting of mixed or unmixed products ... (249.48M, 2.1%), handbags (whether or not with shoulder s... (244.07M, 2.1%), edible offal, fish heads, tails and maws (240.67M, 2.1%).Electronic components and devices total 902.22 million (7.7% of imports), supporting domestic manufacturing and assembly operations. Pharmaceutical products represent 249.48 million (2.1%), reflecting healthcare sector demands.
The import product mix reveals structural characteristics of China, Macao SAR's economy: integration into global electronics supply chains, food security dependencies, and sophisticated consumption patterns.
The ratio of raw materials to finished goods in imports (10 : 10among top 20 products) indicates balanced import composition. Import substitution potential exists in technology and chemicals sectors through targeted industrial policies and investment.
Product diversification metrics reveal focused product specializationwith implications for economic resilience and growth potential. The technology ladder progression from 4 primary products to 11 high-tech goods indicates the economy's structural transformation and industrial upgrading trajectory.
Value addition opportunities exist in transitioning from raw material exports to processed goods, from components to finished products, and from standard to customized offerings. The product space connectivity, measuring relatedness between current exports and potential new products, suggests strong potential for diversification into adjacent sophisticated products.
βοΈ Trade Balance Dynamics
| Partner | Exports | Imports | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| China, Hong Kong SAR | $1.58B | $2.87B | $-1.29B |
| China | $120.61M | $4.00B | $-3.88B |
| USA | $106.74M | $613.97M | $-507.23M |
| France | $6.76M | $437.39M | $-430.63M |
| Japan | $11.26M | $405.83M | $-394.57M |
Export-to-import ratio of 0.186 means exports cover 18.6% of import costs.
π Key Relationships
Major Trading Partners
| Partner | Exports | Imports | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| China, Hong Kong SAR | $1.58B | $2.87B | $-1.29B |
| China | $120.61M | $4.00B | $-3.88B |
| USA | $106.74M | $613.97M | $-507.23M |
| France | $6.76M | $437.39M | $-430.63M |
| Italy | $20.54M | $399.43M | $-378.89M |
| Japan | $11.26M | $405.83M | $-394.57M |
| Viet Nam | $13.67M | $357.51M | $-343.84M |
| Singapore | $23.50M | $308.52M | $-285.02M |
| Total | $1.88B | $9.39B | $-7.51B |
The China, Macao SAR-China, Hong Kong SAR relationship leads at 4.45 billion in bilateral trade.View detailed analysis β
Additional major partnerships include USA (720.71M total trade), France (444.15M total trade), Italy (419.98M total trade). Regional integration through Asian supply chains facilitates technology transfer, market access, and production efficiency. The diversity of trading relationshipsβ11.80B across top 10 partnersβprovides resilience against bilateral tensions and regional disruptions.
π Competitive Position
Global rankings position China, Macao SAR as the #143 exporter worldwide,in the developing trader category. The country's share of global exports at approximately 0.022%offers opportunities for market share expansion.
Export sophistication, measured by the dominance of technology-intensive products, indicates advanced industrial capabilities. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) index shows strongest competitiveness in sectors where China, Macao SAR's global market share exceeds its overall trade share by factors of 2 or more.
Competitive advantages emerge in sectors where export concentration exceeds import share, particularly inof precious metal (exclud, Telephones for cellular n, operated by coins, bankno. The revealed comparative advantage is strongest in product categories representing33.1% of exports. Market positioning against regional competitors shows niche specialization opportunities.
Trade complementarity with major partners suggests regional production network participation. The export quality ladder, comparing unit values to world averages, indicates competitive pricing strategies.
Competitive dynamics are shaped by factor endowments including cost advantages and resource availability, infrastructure quality, and business environment. The export survival rate, measuring the persistence of export relationships over time, suggests need for relationship strengthening.
Innovation capacity, reflected in the technology content of exports and R&D intensity, determines long-term competitiveness trajectories. The competitive threat from emerging exporters in similar product categories requires continuous upgrading and differentiation strategies to maintain market position. Regional integration through trade agreements provides preferential access to0 markets, creating competitive advantages over non-member competitors.
π― Strategic Outlook
Strategic Priority
The trade profile presents both opportunities and challenges for economic development strategy. Key strengths include strong import capacity enabling technology transfer and consumption growth,diversified market access reducing concentration risk, and competitive positions in high-value manufacturing.
Vulnerabilities include excessive reliance on single export markets. The intersection of these factors creates a complex strategic landscape requiring careful navigation to maximize opportunities while mitigating risks.
Strategic priorities should focus on export promotion and import substitution to enhance trade competitiveness. Opportunities exist in expanding trade with Japan, United Arab Emirates, Other Asia, nes, developing new product capabilities in adjacent product categories, and strengthening regional integration through new partnership frameworks.
The digital transformation of trade, including e-commerce, digital services, and blockchain-based trade finance, offers new avenues for market access and efficiency gains. Green trade opportunities in renewable energy, sustainable products, and carbon markets represent growing segments aligned with global sustainability goals.
The evolving global trade environment, characterized by technological disruption, geopolitical realignment, and sustainability imperatives, will fundamentally reshape China, Macao SAR's trade prospects. Success requires balanced policies addressing both improving export capacity while ensuring sustainable import financing.
Investment in infrastructure, education, and innovation ecosystems will determine the ability to climb value chains and capture larger shares of global value addition. The resilience agenda, emphasizing supply chain robustness, strategic autonomy in critical sectors, and economic security considerations, must be balanced with efficiency and openness principles.
As global trade patterns continue evolving, China, Macao SAR's position as the world's #143 exporter provides a platform for continued growth, requiring adaptive strategies, institutional strengthening, and sustained commitment to competitiveness enhancement in an increasingly complex and interconnected global economy.
Data Notes
Data from CEPII BACI database, harmonized using UN Comtrade methodology. All values in current USD at 2023 exchange rates. Trade statistics cover merchandise goods only, excluding services. Mirror statistics reconciliation applied for data consistency. 2024 data available January 2026. HS6 product classification follows 2017 revision.
Data source: CEPII BACI | Last updated: January 2025 | Next update: January 2026