MACAO -- Macao's trade deficit for July of 2013 widened by 21 percent over the same period of last year to 6.38 billion patacas ($798.7 million), the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) said on Friday.

Total merchandise export for July amounted to 745 million patacas,the DSEC figures showed.

The July data took the total value of merchandise export in the first seven months to 5.34 billion patacas, up 16 percent year on year.

Analyzed by destination, value of merchandise export to Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland in January-July increased by 28 percent and 30 percent, respectively.