TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1982
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REVIEW OF OVERSEAS TRADE IN 1981
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THE HONG KONG REVIEW OF OVERSEAS TRADE IN 1981+ WHICH CONTAINS A BRIEF TEXT ON HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE PERFORMANCE 18 GRAPHS AND 35 STATISTICAL APPENDICES WITH COMPARATIVE FIGURES FOR THE PREVIOUS YEARS, IS ON SALE TODAY.
THE REVIEW PRESENTS A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE DIRECTION AND COMPOSITION OF HONG KONG'S OVERSEAS TRADE IN 1981, INCLUDING A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF TRADE BY MAJOR TRADING PARTNERS AND BY COMMODITY CATEGORY.
IN VIEW OF THE INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF HONG KONG'S ROLE AS AN ENTREPOT, A NEW TABLE IS INCLUDED ANALYSING THE PRINCIPAL COMMODITIES RE-EXPORTED BY MAJOR COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN AS WELL AS MAJOR COUNTRIES OF DESTINATION. ALSO INCLUDED ARE STATISTICS ON HONG KONG'S PERFORMANCE IN THE WORLD TRADE AND IN PRINCIPAL OVERSEAS MARKETS, COMPARED WITH THOSE OF MAJOR COMPETITORS.
ACCORDING TO THE REVIEW, SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES WERE NOTED IN IMPORTS FROM CHINA (BY $7 562 MILLION OR 34 PER CENT) AND FROM JAPAN (BY $6 486 MILLION OR 25 PER CENT). AMONG THE OVERSEAS MARKETS WITH THE HIGHEST GROWTH IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS WERE THE U.S. (BY $6 609 MILLION OR 29 PER CENT) AND CHINA (BY $1 319 MILLION OR 82 PER CENT). DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO IRAN AND THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY DROPPED CONSIDERABLY (BY $225 MILLION OR 49 PER CENT, AND $336 MILLION OR FIVE PER CENT, RESPECTIVELY).
BY COMMODITY, SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH WAS REGISTERED IN THE IMPORTS OF TEXTILES (BY $4 440 MILLION OR 30 PER CENT) AND PETROLEUM AND PRODUCTS (BY $3 004 MILLION OR 39 PER CENT) WHEREAS THE COMMODITIES WITH THE HIGHEST GROWTH IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS WERE CLOTHING (BY $5 030 MILLION OR 22 PER CENT) AND ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (BY $1 322 MILLION OR 29 PER CENT).
PER CENT IN 1981, RE-EXPORTS OF CHINA CENT, WITH THE
THE VALUE OF RE-EXPORT TRADE ROSE BY 39 CONTINUING TWO YEARS OF VERY STRONG GROWTH. ORIGIN INCREASED BY $4 440 MILLION OR 53 PER LARGEST INCREASE REGISTERED IN CLOTHING (BY $544 MILLION OR 42 PER CENT). RE-EXPORTS OF JAPAN ORIGIN ALSO GREW SUBSTANTIALLY (BY $2 510 MILLION OR 43 PER CENT), ESPECIALLY FOR ROAD VEHICLES (BY $1 042 MILLION OR 100 PER CENT).
CHINA WAS ALSO THE LARGEST COUNTRY SUPPLYING GOODS FOR SUBSEQUENT RE-EXPORT. RE-EXPORTS TO CHINA INCREASED BY $3 402 MILLION OR 73 PER CENT AND RE-EXPORTS TO THE U.S. BY $1 700 MILLION OR 55 PER CENT. THE U.S. WAS THE LARGEST MARKET FOR RE-EXPORTS OF CHINA ORIGIN, ACCOUNTING FOR 22 PER CENT OF ALL RE-EXPORTS OF CHINA ORIGIN' THROUGH HONG KONG.
THE COMMODITY WITH SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH WAS CLOTHING (BY $1 124 MILLION OR 67 PER CENT). ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THE RE-EXPORTS OF JAPAN ORIGIN WENT TO INDONESIA, WITH THE HIGHEST GROWTH REGISTERED IN ROAD VEHICLES (BY $946 MILLION OR 148 PER CENT).
/THE VALUE