Imports by main supplier countries
2.10
China remained the most important
source of Hong
Kong's imports, accounting for 28% of the total value of imports
in the first half of 1986. Imports from China were 36% higher
in value terms, or about 41% higher in real terms, than in the
same period last year. Much of this increase was attributable
to increases in imports of consumer goods, raw materials and
semi-manufactures, and foodstuffs, including textile yarn,
fabrics and made-up articles, clothing, baby carriages, toys,
games and sporting goods, live animals, vegetables and fruit,
and meat and meat
and meat preparations. The increased demand for raw
materials and semi-manufactures from China was due, at least in
part, to the improved domestic export performance in the first
half of the year.
2.11
In contrast, imports from Japan (accounting for 21% of
the total value of imports and being the second largest source
of supply) decreased by 6% in value terms in the first half of
1986 compared with the first half of 1985. Trade indices
available up to May 1986 suggest that import prices rose by
about 11% and that, therefore, the decline in real
real terms was
roughly 16%. Decreases in import values were recorded for
consumer goods and capital goods, including telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment, road vehicles, and office machines and automatic data processing
equipment.
2.12
The other main sources of supply were, in descending
order of value, the United States (accounting for 9% of the
total value of imports), Taiwan (8%), Singapore (4%), the United
Kingdom (4%) and the Republic of Korea (4%). While imports from
the United States and Taiwan declined by about 7% and 1% respectively in real terms in the first half of 1986 compared with a year earlier, those from the United Kingdom grew by an estimated 4%. Over the same period, the value of imports from
Singapore fell by 98% while that from the Republic of Korea
(7) showed little change
/Growth
(7) No estimates are available for the growth rates of imports from these
sources in real terms.
12
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