MONDAY, MARCH 9, 1987
AS SHOWN IN TABLE 2, IMPORT PRICES OF MOST END-USE CATEGORIES INCREASED IN 1986 AS COMPARED WITH 1985, RANGING FROM 3 PER CENT FOR RAW MATERIALS AND SEMI-MANUFACTURES TO 16 PER CENT FOR CAPITAL GOODS. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE IMPORT PRICES OF FUELS DROPPED BY 33 PER CENT, WHILE THE IMPORT PRICES OF FOODSTUFFS REMAINED UNCHANGED.
IMPORTS OF MANY MAJOR FOODSTUFFS INCREASED IN VOLUME IN 1986 COMPARED WITH 1985. SIGNIFICANT GROWTH WAS RECORDED IN FISH AND FISH PREPARATIONS LIVE POULTRY AS WELL AS VEGETABLES. HOWEVER, DECREASES IN IMPORT VOLUME WERE REGISTERED FOR CEREALS AND CEREAL PREPARATIONS OTHER THAN RICE, WHEAT AND FLOUR AS WELL AS SOYA BEAN OIL, PEANUT OIL AND LARD.
OVER THE SAME PERIOD, THE IMPORT VOLUME OF MANY CONSUMER GOODS INCREASED, THE MORE SUBSTANTIAL ONES BEING WATCHES; CLOTHING AS WELL AS MISCELLANEOUS MADE-UP ARTICLES OF TEXTILE MATERIALS. HOWEVER, DECREASES IN IMPORT VOLUME WERE NOTED FOR PASSENGER MOTOR CARS AS WELL AS HOUSEHOLD TYPE ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES.
THE IMPORT VOLUME OF MOST RAW MATERIALS AND SEMI-MANUFACTURES ROSE IN 1986 COMPARED WITH 1985, INCLUDING DYEING, TANNING AND COLOURING MATERIALS COTTON YARN AND THREAD: PLASTIC MOULDING MATERIALS WATCH AND CLOCK MOVEMENTS, CASES AND PARTS AS WELL AS PAPER AND PAPERBOARD. DECREASES IN IMPORT VOLUME WERE RECORDED IN BASE METALS. EXCLUDING IRON AND STEEL FABRICS OF WOOL AND MIXTURES AS WELL AS WOOL AND OTHER ANIMAL HAIR.
IMPORTS OF FUELS INCREASED BY 20 PER CENT IN VOLUME IN 1986
AS COMPARED WITH 1985.
IN THE CAPITAL GOODS CATEGORY, THE IMPORT VOLUME OF MOST COMMODITIES DECREASED IN 1986 OVER 1985, THE SUBSTANTIAL ONES BEING CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT AS WELL AS OFFICE MACHINES. HOWEVER, INCREASES IN IMPORT VOLUME WERE NOTED FOR TEXTILE MACHINERY AS WELL AS ELECTRICAL MACHINERY,
THE CHANGES IN THE VALUE, UNIT VALUE AND VOLUME OF RE-EXPORTS BY END-USE CATEGORY FOR DECEMBER AND THE WHOLE YEAR OF 1986 AS COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIODS IN 1985 ARE SHOWN IN TABLE 3.
AS DEPICTED IN TABLE 3, THE RE-EXPORT VOLUME OF MOST END-USE CATEGORIES INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY IN 1986 WHEN COMPARED WITH 1985, RANGING FROM 17 PER CENT FOR RAW MATERIALS AND SEMI- MANUFACTURES TO 176 PER CENT FOR FUELS. HOWEVER, THE VOLUME OF RE-EXPORTS OF CAPITAL GOODS DECREASED BY 20 PER CENT.
FURTHER DETAILS ARE CONTAINED IN THE DECEMBER 1986 ISSUE OF + HONG KONG TRADE INDEX NUMBERS+ AVAILABLE FOR SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE TOMORROW (TUESDAY) AT HK$2.50 PER COPY. ENQUIRIES REGARDING REGULAR SUBSCRIPTION TO THIS REPORT MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT AT BASKERVILLE HOUSE, HONG KONG, ON 5-214375 AND ENQUIRIES ON TRADE INDEXES TO THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT ON 5-8234918.
/Table 1: