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Trade between China and Macao

In 2024, China exported $4.5 billion to Macao and imported $97 million. China ran a surplus of $4.4 billion with Macao, compared with a surplus of $3.5 billion in 2019. Macao was China’s 96th largest trading partner (0.1% of its trade), and China was Macao’s largest (30%).

Summary

China → Macao
$4.5billion
Macao → China
$97million
China’s balance
$4.4billion

Balance

China’s trade balance with Macao

Trade between China and Macao grew 5.4-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). China’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 4.5
  • Imports 0.1
  • Balance +4.4

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$606 million$248 million$358 million
1996$578 million$275 million$302 million
1997$722 million$277 million$446 million
1998$771 million$160 million$610 million
1999$834 million$206 million$627 million
2000$846 million$162 million$684 million
2001$894 million$178 million$716 million
2002$1.1 billion$259 million$830 million
2003$1.4 billion$280 million$1.1 billion
2004$1.7 billion$302 million$1.4 billion
2005$1.8 billion$385 million$1.4 billion
2006$2.2 billion$350 million$1.8 billion
2007$2.5 billion$362 million$2.2 billion
2008$2.3 billion$248 million$2 billion
2009$1.7 billion$289 million$1.4 billion
2010$2 billion$171 million$1.8 billion
2011$2.4 billion$188 million$2.3 billion
2012$2.6 billion$349 million$2.3 billion
2013$3.3 billion$476 million$2.8 billion
2014$3.6 billion$281 million$3.3 billion
2015$2.8 billion$314 million$2.5 billion
2016$3.2 billion$187 million$3.1 billion
2017$3.2 billion$195 million$3 billion
2018$3.4 billion$103 million$3.3 billion
2019$3.6 billion$105 million$3.5 billion
2020$3.1 billion$131 million$3 billion
2021$5.3 billion$201 million$5.1 billion
2022$5.3 billion$155 million$5.1 billion
2023$4.9 billion$120 million$4.7 billion
2024$4.5 billion$97 million$4.4 billion

What they sell each other

What China sells to Macao

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Electricity$529 million · 11.7%
    China’s destinations
  2. Cameras and broadcast equipment$486 million · 10.8%
    462 tonnes
  3. Spirits$225 million · 5%
    1 thousand tonnes
  4. Jewelry$219 million · 4.9%
    3 tonnes · China’s destinations
  5. Computers$182 million · 4.1%
    568 tonnes · China’s destinations
  6. Steel structures$145 million · 3.2%
    81 thousand tonnes
  7. Airplanes and helicopters$83 million · 1.9%
    124 tonnes · China’s destinations
  8. Natural gas and LPG$82 million · 1.8%
    132 thousand tonnes
  9. Computer and office machine parts$80 million · 1.8%
    2 thousand tonnes
  10. Cars$72 million · 1.6%
    4 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations

What Macao sells to China

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Cigarettes and cigars$16 million · 16.8%
    506 tonnes
  2. Jewelry$10 million · 10.5%
    China’s sources
  3. Antibiotics$10 million · 10.2%
    7 tonnes
  4. Copper foil$9 million · 9.4%
    979 tonnes
  5. Copper scrap$9 million · 9.3%
    1 thousand tonnes
  6. Waste paper$5 million · 4.7%
    24 thousand tonnes
  7. Wine$4 million · 4%
    130 tonnes · China’s sources
  8. Cameras and broadcast equipment$4 million · 3.9%
    18 tonnes
  9. Nitrogen heterocyclic compounds$3 million · 2.8%
  10. Other food preparations$3 million · 2.7%
    39 tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Shanghai to Macao.

The estimated sea route between Shanghai and Macao is 865 nautical miles (1,602 km) long: ≈ 2–2.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

It does not cross any major canal or strait.

Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.

Split by transport mode

  1. Sea$2.9 billion · 62.2%
  2. Air$1.7 billion · 37.8%

Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.

How much each matters to the other

Macao was China’s 96th largest trading partner (0.1% of its trade), and China was Macao’s largest (30%).

Macao in China’s trade
0.1%
Macao’s rank among China’s partners
96th
China in Macao’s trade
30.1%
China’s rank among Macao’s partners
1st

Compare with

Other partners of China

Other partners of Macao

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.