+
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 1978
4
THE FOLLOWING TABLE ILLUSTRATES THE CHANGES IN IMPORTS BY COMMODITY SECTIONS:
INCREASE/
JAN.-MAY 77 (HK$ MN.)
JAN.-MAY 78 (HK$ MN.)
DECREASE
PERCENTAGE
(HK$ MN.)
CHANGE
MANUFACTURED GOODS CLASS IF IED CHIEFLY
BY MATERIAL (MAINLY
TEXTILE PRODUCTS
AND DIAMONDS)
5,787
7,327
+1,540
27%
MACHINERY AND TRANS-
PORT EQUIPMENT
3,878
4,510
632
16%
FOOD AND LIVE ANIMALS
CHIEFLY FOR FOOD
:
2,901
3,179
278
10%
MISCELLANEOUS MANU-
FACTURED ARTICLES
(MAINLY WATCHES AND CLOCKS, ARTICLES OF APPAREL)
CHEMICAL AND
RELATED PRODUCTS
f
2,278
3,025
+
747
.33%
1,470
1,680
210
14%
IMPORTS OF TEXTILE FABRICS ($1,946 MILLION, 24 PER CENT) WATCHES AND CLOCKS ($1,033 MILLION, 31 PER CENT), ROAD VEHICLES ($534 MILLION, + 43 PER CENT), IRON AND STEEL ($692 MILLION, + 22 PER CENT), OFFICE MACHINES AND AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT ($463 MILLION, 36 PER CENT) AND ARTICLES OF APPAREL AND CLOTHING ACCESSORIES ($420 MILLION, 41 PER CENT) ADVANCED MOST SIGNIFICANTLY, REFLECTING PRONOUNCED UPTRENDS IN DOMESTIC DEMAND FOR CONSUMER GOODS, RAW MATERIALS AND CAPITAL GOODS.
DEMAND FOR FOODSTUFFS GAINED A MODEST GROWTH RATE DESPITE A SHARP DROP IN IMPORTS OF COFFEE, TEA, COCOA, SPICES AND MANUFACTURES THEREOF ($88 MILLION, 47 PER CENT).
RE-EXPORTS GAINED A PHENOMENAL INCREASE, ATTRIBUTING CHIEFLY TO REMARKABLE ADVANCES OF RE-EXPORTS TO THE FOUR MAJOR MARKETS, JAPAN ($821 MILLION, + 36 PER CENT), INDONESIA ($519 MILLION, + 80 PER CENT), SINGAPORE ($528 MILLION, 30 PER CENT) AND U.S.A. ($448 MILLION,+ 34 PER CENT).
MORE THAN ONE-HALF OF THE INCREASE IN RE-EXPORTS TO JAPAN WAS DUE TO HIGHER DELIVERIES OF PEARLS, PRECIOUS AND SEMI- PRECIOUS STONES ($280 MILLION, + 70 PER CENT).
+
519 PER CENT)
MORE RE-EXPORTS OF ROAD VEHICLES ($76 MILLION, TO INDONESIA AND OF WATCHES AND CLOCKS ($137 MILLION, + 57 PER CENT) TO SINGAPORE WERE RECORDED.
/THE GAIN