ابسة
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1987
PUTTING THE MONTH'S TRADE FIGURES INTO CONTEXT, THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS FOR THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS OF 1987 WAS $235,871 MILLION, MADE UP OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF $123,296 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS OF $112,575 MILLION.
COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1986, THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS GREW BY $67,203 MILLION OR 39.8 PER CENT, THAT OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS BY $28,854 MILLION OR 30.6 PER CENT, AND THAT OF RE-EXPORTS BY $38,349 MILLION OR 51.7 PER CENT.
OVER THIS PERIOD, THE VALUE OF IMPORTS GREW BY $66,396 MILLION OR 38.8 PER CENT, TO $237,384 MILLION.
A CUMULATIVE VISIBLE TRADE DEFICIT OF $1,513 MILLION, EQUIVALENT TO 0.6 PER CENT OF THE VALUE OF IMPORTS, WAS RECORDED IN THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS OF 1987.
THIS COMPARES WITH A DEFICIT OF $2,320 MILLION, EQUIVALENT TO 1.4 PER CENT OF THE VALUE OF IMPORTS, RECORDED IN THE SAME PERIOD IN 1986.
COMMENTING ON THESE FIGURES, A GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS IN RECENT MONTHS WAS MAINLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO SUSTAINED DEMAND FOR HONG KONG'S PRODUCTS IN OVERSEAS MARKETS, AND TO THE STIMULATION CAUSED BY THE DEPRECIATION OF THE HONG KONG DOLLAR, IN LINE WITH THAT OF THE U.3. DOLLAR, AGAINST MOST OTHER MAJOR CURRENCIES DURING THE COURSE 1986 AND IN THE EARLY MONTHS OF 1987.
OF
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THE EVEN MORE RAPID GROWTH IN RE-EXPORTS WAS MAINLY DUE TO FLOURISHING ENTREPOT TRADE WITH CHINA, WHICH FEATURED PROMINENTLY BOTH AS A SOURCE AND AS A MARKET FOR HONG KONG'S RE-EXPORTS.
THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT THE STRONG GROWTH IN IMPORTS WAS PARTLY A REFLECTION OF THE BUOYANT DOMESTIC DEMAND, BUT ALSO SUGGESTED THAT EXPORT PERFORMANCE WAS LIKELY TO REMAIN GOOD IN THE COMING MONTHS.
THE FOLLOWING TABLE PRESENTS THE PROVISIONAL MERCHANDISE FIGURES FOR AUGUST 1987.
TRADE
/TRADE FIGURES