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PRESS/TPRB/281 
30 April 2007 
 
(07-1738) 
TRADE POLICY REVIEW: MACAO, CHINA 
High gaming-based growth — dive rsification an important goal 
The economy of Macao, China grew at an aver age annual rate of 14.5% in the period 2001 to 
2005 and growth its expected to have been well above this average in 2006. perhaps close to 
20%, thanks to the strong growth in tourism and related services and the liberalization of the 
gaming industry, according to a WTO Secretariat report on the trade policies an practices of Macao, China. 
 
Gaming has become the cornerstone of the economy of the Macao Special Administrative Region of China, and related activities such as hotels and resorts, have attracted massive investment 
transforming Macao from a manufacturing centre into a predominantly services-oriented economy, 
with services accounting for almost 90% of GDP and 75% of total employment.  
The report says that the main thrust of economic policy in the years to come will be to ensure the 
smooth progress of gambling sector liberalization in coordination with the healthy development of other sectors. The Government efforts to diversify the economy in general and the tourism market 
in particular would provide a more stable economy less dependant on gaming and tourism, adds 
the report.  
The report, along with a policy statement by the Go vernment of Macao, China, will be the basis for 
the third Trade Policy Review (TPR) of Macao, Ch ina by the Trade Policy Review Body of the WTO 
on 30 April and 2 May 2007. 
 
The following documents are available in MS Wo rd format on the WTO web-site. They can be 
downloaded at http://www.wto.org/english/ tratop_e/tpr_e/tp281_e.htm  
 
• Secretariat report 
> Contents and summary observations  
> Economic environment  
> Trade and investment regimes  > Trade policies and practices by measure  
> Trade policies by sector  
> Appendix tables  
• Report by the Government of Macao, China PRESS/TPRB/281 
Page 2 of 2 
 
 
 • Chairperson’s concluding remarks  
• Minutes of the meeting (available appr oximately six weeks after the meeting). 
Note 
Trade Policy Reviews are an exercise, mandated in the WTO agreements, in which member 
countries’ trade and related policies are examined and evaluated at regular intervals. Significant 
developments that may have an impact on the global trading system are also monitored. For each review, two documents are prepared: a policy stat ement by the government of the member under 
review, and a detailed report written independently by the WTO Secretariat. These two documents 
are then discussed by the WTO’s full membership in  the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB). These 
documents and the proceedings of the TPRB’s meetings are published shortly afterwards.  
 
Print copies of the TPR publications are available for sale from the WTO Secretariat, Centre William Rappard, 154 rue de Lausanne, 1211 Genève 21 and through the on-line bookshop at 
https://secure.vtx.ch/shop/boutiques/wto_index_boutique.html  or follow this path :  
www.wto.org >resources > publications > trade policy reviews   
The TPR publications are also available from our co-publisher Bernan Press , 4611-F Assembly 
Drive, Lanham, MD 20706-4391, United States 
Next reviews: 
Costa Rica: 7 and 9 May 2007 
India : 23 and 25 May 2007 
Central African Republic : 11 and 13 June 2007 
 
For a full list of previous trade policy reviews and the full programme of future reviews go to 
http://www.wto.org/english/trat op_e/tpr_e/tpr_ e.htm#reviews 
or follow this path : www.wto.org > trade topics > trade policy reviews 
  
 
END