commodity
prices and to the
strengthening
value
of the Hong
import-weighted
Kong
dollar
of the
exchange
the
nine
as measured by
exchange rate index during the first
months of this year.
Output prices
6.4
The prices of manufacturing output also showed slower
rates of increase, as indicated by the movements in the unit
value index of domestic exports. In the third quarter the unit value index of domestic exports was 6% higher than a year ago, compared with increases of 8% in the second quarter and
10% in the first quarter of this year.
This is roughly
consistent with the deceleration in the rate of increase in
import prices of raw materials and semi-manufactures.
6.5
Although there is no reliable measure of quarterly
movements in
the prices and rentals for property in general, the overall impression is that, reflecting the abundant supply
in relation to demand, sales prices and rentals eased further
during the third quarter (paragraphs 5.5 and 5.6).
Consumer prices
6.6
The rate of increase in consumer prices, as measured
by the various Consumer Price Indexes, continued to slow down
in the third quarter. Taking Consumer Price Index (A) as an
example, the year-on-year rate
rate of increase in consumer prices
in the third quarter of this year slowed down to 9%, although
for the first nine months as a whole the increase was 11%.
The following table shows the movements and the
the percentage
changes in the Consumer Price Indexes (A) and (B) and the Hang
Seng Consumer Price Index:
35
/ Consumer