Gongbei Customs recorded an import-export value of 278.74 billion yuan ($40 billion) for goods transiting Macao over the 20 years since its return to the motherland (January 2000 to November 2019), accounting for 80 percent of the value of goods moving between the Chinese mainland and Macao over that period.

Notably, the import-export value of 2018 was 4.4 times that of 1999, representing an annualized growth rate of 8 percent. For the first 11 months of this year, the value of goods imported and exported through Macao, as determined by Gongbei Customs, is 15.18 billion yuan ($2 billion), 77.8 percent of the flow of goods between the Chinese mainland and the former Portuguese colony.

Gongbei Customs officials [Photo courtesy nanfangplus]

In addition, the grade of products has been continually upgraded, with mechanical and electrical items replacing textiles and garments as major exports.

Meanwhile, Gongbei Customs plays a significant role in guaranteeing the livelihood of Macao's residents. During the January-November period, 92,000 tons of natural gas, 2.94 billion yuan ($419 million) worth of electricity, and 2.62 billion yuan ($374 million) of agricultural products entered Macao via Gongbei Customs. 

The achievements result from the continuous growth of economic connections between Zhuhai and Macao and preferential policies under the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA).

Looking ahead, Gongbei Customs will upgrade its functions and renovate its supervision model amid accelerated construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to help Macao integrate into the national development strategy, noted a responsible executive.