7
THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 1985
COMPARING THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1985 WITH THE SAME QUARTER OF 1984, ALTHOUGH INCREASES IN TONNAGE WERE NOTED FOR IMPORTS FROM MOST COUNTRIES OF LOADING, THOSE FROM CHINA AND JAPAN DECREASED BY 29 PER CENT AND 19 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY. OVERALL, THE TOTAL TONNAGE OF IMPORTS INCREASED BY ONE PER CENT. AMONG THE PRINCIPAL COMMODITIES, INCREASES IN TONNAGE WERE RECORDED IN THE IMPORTS OF CEMENT AND CEMENT CLINKER (+56 PER CENT) AND COAL, COKE AND BRIQUETTES (+31 PER CENT). HOWEVER, DECREASES WERE NOTED FOR CEREALS AND CEREAL PREPARATIONS (-27 PER CENT) AND VEGETABLES AND FRUIT (-20 PER CENT).
OVER THE SAME PERIOD, THE TONNAGE OF TOTAL SEABORNE EXPORTS DECREASED BY FOUR PER CENT. WHILE SEABORNE EXPORTS TO CHINA INCREASED BY 43 PER CENT, THOSE TO ALL OTHER COUNTRIES OF DISCHARGE DECREASED. AMONG THE PRINCIPAL COMMODITIES, INCREASES IN TONNAGE WERE RECORDED FOR EXPORTS OF INORGANIC CHEMICALS (+33 PER CENT) AND TOYS (+6 PER CENT), WHILE A DECREASE IN TONNAGE WAS RECORDED FOR THE EXPORTS OF METALLIFEROUS ORES AND METAL SCRAP (-19 PER CENT).
SHIPPING STATISTICS ARE COMPILED PRIMARILY FROM GENERAL DECLARATIONS SUBMITTED TO THE MARINE DEPARTMENT BY SHIPOWNERS OR AUTHORISED SHIPPING AGENTS, AND COVER ALL OCEAN-GOING VESSELS ENTERING AND LEAVING HONG KONG, EXCLUDING YACHTS AND PLEASURE CRAFT.
PORT AND CARGO STATISTICS ARE COMPILED FROM OCEAN CARGO MANIFESTS SUPPLIED BY SHIPPING COMPANIES OR AGENTS TO THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT. BECAUSE OF RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS, A SAMPLE OF ALL CONSIGNMENTS LISTED IN THE MANIFESTS IS USED FOR COMPILING THE STATISTICS. THE SAMPLING METHOD IS DESCRIBED IN THE EXPLANATORY NOTES OF THE REPORT.
MORE DETAILS ARE CONTAINED IN THE HONG KONG SHIPPING STATISTICS+ REPORT FOR JANUARY TO MARCH 1985, WHICH IS NOW ON SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE, AT $12 PER COPY.
ENQUIRIES ON STATISTICS PROVIDED IN THE REPORT MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE SHIPPING STATISTICS SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT, AT TELEPHONE NUMBERS 5-452701 AND 5-455422.