INDUSTRY AND TRADE
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materials and semi-manufactured goods totalled $75,258 million, representing 43 per cent of total imports. The principal items imported were fabrics of man-made fibres ($6,804 million), transistors, diodes, semi-conductors and integrated circuits ($6,239 million), woven cotton fabrics ($4,737 million), iron and steel ($4,334 million), watch and clock movements, cases and parts ($4,259 million) and plastic moulding materials ($4,246 million). Imports of consumer goods, valued at $46,659 million, constituted 27 per cent of total imports. The major consumer goods imported were clothing ($8,537 million), radios, television-receivers, gramophones, records, amplifiers and tape recorders ($3,900 million), diamonds ($3,844 million), watches ($3,678 million) and medicinal and pharmaceutical products ($1,708 million).
Imports of capital goods amounted to $22,540 million, or 13 per cent of total imports. Imported capital goods consisted mainly of electrical machinery ($3,818 million), transport equipment ($3,242 million), office machines ($1,915 million), electronic components and parts for computers ($1,636 million) and industrial machinery other than electrical and textile machinery ($886 million).
Imports of foodstuffs were valued at $19,732 million, representing 11 per cent of total imports. The principal imported food items were fish and fish preparations ($3,051 million), meat and meat preparations ($2,555 million), fruit ($2,498 million) and vegetables ($2,364 million).
Some $11,253 million of mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials were imported in 1983, representing six per cent of total imports.
China and Japan were the two principal suppliers of imports in 1983, providing 24 per cent and 23 per cent, respectively, of the total. China alone supplied 46 per cent of Hong Kong's imported foodstuffs. The United States ranked third, providing 11 per cent of total imports, followed by Taiwan, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Korea and West Germany.
Clothing remained the largest component of domestic exports in 1983, valued at $34,365 million or 33 per cent of the total. Exports of miscellaneous manufactured articles consisting mainly of plastic toys and dolls, jewellery, goldsmiths' and silversmiths' wares and artificial flowers, were valued at $16,642 million, representing 16 per cent of total domestic exports. Photographic apparatus, equipment, supplies and optical goods, watches and clocks amounted to $9,399 million or nine per cent of the total. Domestic exports of telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment, valued at $8,410 million, contributed another eight per cent to the total. Other important exports included electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, consisting mainly of transistors and diodes and household type appliances (eight per cent of the total), textiles (seven per cent) and office machines and automatic data processing equipment (five per cent).
The direction and level of Hong Kong's export trade is very much influenced by economic conditions and commercial policies in major overseas markets. In 1983, 63 per cent of all domestic exports went to the United States and the European Economic Community. The largest market was the United States ($43,802 million or 42 per cent of the total), followed by the United Kingdom ($8,538 million or eight per cent), West Germany ($8,043 million or eight per cent) and China ($6,223 million or six per cent). Domestic exports to Japan and Canada increased to $3,910 million and $3,731 million respectively, with Japan representing four per cent and Canada four per cent of total domestic exports. Other important markets were Australia and Singapore.
Re-exports continued to increase in 1983, accounting for 35 per cent of the combined total of domestic exports and re-exports. The principal commodities re-exported were