MACAO - The preliminary estimate of Macao's foreign exchange reserves amounted to 283.3 billion patacas ($35.46 billion) at the end of January 2012, according to the figures released Wednesday by the Monetary Authority.

The reserves for January rose 4.0 percent month-on-month and 47.6 percent year-on-year, the figures indicated.

Macao's foreign exchange reserves at the end of January 2012 represented 47 times the currency in circulation at the end of December 2011.

The trade-weighted effective exchange rate index for the pataca, a gauge of the domestic currency's exchange rates against the currencies of Macao's major trading partners, increased by 0.2 points month-to-month but fell by 0.23 points year-on-year to 88. 60 in January 2012.