MACAO -- Macao recorded a trade deficit of 4.96 billion patacas ($620 million) in July, as merchandise import soared by 46.3 percent year-on-year, according to the figures released on Wednesday by the city's Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).

Total merchandise export for July amounted to 585 million patacas, with value of domestic export decreasing by 16 percent to 212 million patacas, the figures showed.

Meanwhile, total value of merchandise export in the first seven months of 2011 dropped by 6.1 percent year-on-year to 3.99 billion patacas, of which value of re-export declined by 8.7 percent.

Analyzed by destination, value of merchandise export to Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland and United States in the first seven months of 2011 decreased by 8.8 percent, 0.8 percent and 30.2 percent, respectively, year-on-year, the DSEC said.

In the first seven months of 2011, value of merchandise import from Chinese mainland and the EU expanded by 36.5 percent and 58.8 percent year-on-year, respectively, the figures indicated.