TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1979
1
HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE FOR 1978
*****
THE TOTAL ANNUAL TRADE VALUE FOR 1978 SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 25 PER CENT COMPARED WITH 1977.
STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY (TUESDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT SHOWED IMPORTS RISING FROM $48,701 MILLION TO $63,056 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF 29 PER CENT WHILE DOMESTIC EXPORTS INCREASED BY 16 PER CENT, RISING FROM $35,004 MILLION TO $40,711 MILLION.
RE-EXPORTS SHOWED AN ACCELERATED GROWTH OF 34 PER CENT, REACHING $13,197 MILLION.
THE DEPARTMENT ALSO RELEASED DETAILED MERCHANDISE TRADE STATISTICS FOR 1978.
DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO 10 MAJOR OVERSEAS MARKETS ARE 1
1977
1978
INCREASE
(HK$ MN) (HK$ MN) (HK$ MN)
PERCENTAGE CHANGE
U.S.A.
13,552
15,125
+1,573
+12
F.R. OF GERMANY
3,669
4.426
758
+21
UNITED KINGDOM
3,035
3,871
836
+28
JAPAN
1,386 1,856
470
+34
AUSTRALIA
1,247 1,494
247
+20
CANADA
1,171
1,271
+ 100
6 +
SINGAPORE
904
1,104
200
+22
NETHERLANDS
763
937
173
+23
SWITZERLAND AND
LIECHTENSTEIN
572
683
111
+19
NIGER IA
461
581
120
+26
BY COUNTRY, EXPORTS TO THE U.S. ROSE BY 12 PER CENT, DUE MAINLY TO INCREASED SHIPMENTS OF ARTICLES OF APPAREL AND CLOTHING ACCESSORIES ($6,268 MILLION, +16 PER CENT), ELECTRICAL MACHINERY ($968 MILLION, +11 PER CENT), WATCHES AND CLOCKS ($796 MILLION, +48 PER CENT) AS WELL AS OFFICE MACHINES AND AUTOMATIC DATÁ PROCESSING EQUIPMENT ($746 MILLION, +11 PER CENT).
/BUT DECLINES