THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1978
EXTERNAL TRADE FIGURES
******
THE TOTAL VALUE OF HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE FOR THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS THIS YEAR AMOUNTED TO $71,701 MILLION, AN
INCREASE OF 19 PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD OF 1977, ACCORDING TO TRADE FIGURES ISSUED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY.
THE FIGURES ALSO SHOWED THAT DOMESTIC EXPORTS WERE WORTH $25,012 MILLION, INCREASED BY 11 PER CENT IMPORTS AT $38,572 MILLION, UP 23 PER CENT AND RE-EXPORTS AT $8,117 MILLION, UP 30 PER CENT.
DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO TEN MAJOR OVERSEAS MARKETS ARE AS
FOLLOWS:
INCREASE/
JAN.-AUG. 77
(HK$ MN)
JAN.-AUG. 78
(HK$ MN)
DECREASE
(HK$ MN)
PERCENTAGE CHANGE
U.S.A.
8,812
9,675
+863
+ 10%
F.R. OF GERMANY
2,299
2,625
+326
+ 14%
UNITED KINGDOM
1,863
2,267
+404
+ 22%
JAPAN
867
1,005
+138
+ 16%
AUSTRALIA
828
902
+ 75
9%
CANADA
777
798
+21
3%
SINGAPORE
564
642
+ 77
+ 14%
THE NETHERLANDS
484
557
+ 73
+ 15%
SWITZERLAND AND
LIECHENSTE IN
381
440
+ 60
+ 16%
NIGER IA
255
389
+134
+ 53%
BY COUNTRY, EXPORTS TO U.S.A. ROSE BY 10 PER CENT DUE MAINLY TO INCREASED SHIPMENTS OF ARTICLES OF APPAREL AND CLOTHING ACCESSORIES ($4,020 MILLION, +13 PER CENT) AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS ($451 MILLION, +50 PER CENT). THESE MORE THAN OFFSET THE DECLINES IN EXPORTS OF RADIO BROADCAST RECEIVERS ($396 MILLION, -38 PER CENT) AND OF PLASTIC TOYS AND DOLLS ($788 MILLION, -4 PER CENT).
EXPORTS TO THE U.K. PICKED UP ACTIVELY BECAUSE OF A SIGNIFICANT UPTURN IN DELIVERIES OF ARTICLES OF APPAREL AND CLOTHING ACCESSORIES ($1,174 MILLION, +28 PER CENT). SHIPMENTS OF WATCHES AND CLOCKS TO THE U.K. ALSO ROSE SHARPLY ($128 MILLION, +86 PER CENT).
EXPORT SALES.....