2
EXTERNAL TRADE FIGURES FOR JANUARY
******
SUNDAY, MAY 20, 1979
MARCH
THE TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE VALUE FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR WAS $31,882 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF 36 PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1978.
DOMESTIC EXPORTS ROSE BY 31 PER CENT TO $10,116 MILLION, IMPORTS BY 34 PER CENT TO $17,559 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS BY 59 PER CENT TO $4,207 MILLION.
THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (SUNDAY) RELEASED DETAILED MERCHANDISE TRADE STATISTICS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1979.
DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO 10 MAJOR OVERSEAS MARKETS ARE 1
JAN-MAR 79 (HK$ MN)
JAN-MAR 78 (HK$ MN)
INCREASE (HK$ MN)
PERCENTAGE CHANGE
U.S.A.
3,262
2,790
+ 472
• 17
F.R. OF GERMANY
1,215
833
+ 382
+ 46
U.K.
2,144
638
+ 506
+ 79
JAPAN
516
311
+ 205
+ 66
AUSTRALIA
379
307
+
72
+ 23
CANADA
303
251
52
+ 21
SINGAPORE
275
216
59
+ 27
NETHERLANDS
263
178
85
+ 48
SWEDEN
190
109
81
+ 75
SWITZERLAND
169
151
18
+ 12
THE INCREASE IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE U.S.A. WAS DUE MAINLY TO IMPROVED SHIPMENTS OF CLOTHING ($1,186 MILLION, 12 PER CENT),
+ ELECTRICAL MACHINERY AND APPLIANCES ($268 MILLION, + 36 PER CENT), PLASTIC TOYS AND DOLLS ($259 MILLION, 48 PER CENT), OFFICE MACHINES AND AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT ($195 MILLION, + NINE PER CENT) AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS ($175 MILLION, + 28 PER CENT). ON THE OTHER HAND, SALES OF RADIO BROADCAST RECEIVERS ($105 MILLION, - 12 PER CENT) AND PLASTIC ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS
($46 MILLION,
—
-
20 PER CENT) TO THE U.S.A. CONTINUED TO DECLINE.
DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF CLOTHING TO THE F.R. OF GERMANY ROSE SIGNIFICANTLY TO $723 MILLION (+ 54 PER CENT), ACCOUNTING FOR ABOUT 66 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL INCREASE TO THAT COUNTRY,
INCREASES IN DELIVERIES TO THE U.K. WERE FOUND MAINLY IN CLOTHING (#618 MILLION, + 88 PER CENT), TEXTILES ($115 MILLION + 78 PER CENT), WATCHES AND CLOCKS ($59 MILLION, 88 PER CENT), AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT ($59 MILLION, + 124 PER CENT).
INCREASES WERE