XN000022-1975-01-31 — Page 6

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 1975.

VALUE OF DECEMBER EXPORTS DROP

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THE VALUE OF HONG KONG'S DOMESTIC EXPORTS IN DECEMBER LAST YEAR AMOUNTED TO $1,733 MILLION, ACCORDING TO PROVISIONAL FIGURES RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THIS REPRESENTED A DECREASE OF $227 MILLION OR 11.6 PER CENT COMPARED WITH DECEMBER 1973.

THE VALUE OF IMPORTS AT $2,542 MILLION WAS 16.9 PER CENT LESS THAN THAT OF DECEMBER 1973, WHILE RE-EXPORTS WERE DOWN BY 15.2 PER CENT TO $527 MILLION.

COMMENTING ON THE PROVISIONAL FIGURES, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT NOTED THAT, IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES ELSEWHERE, HONG KONG'S DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS IN THE LAST QUARTER OF 1974 DECLINED BY 13 PER CENT AND IMPORTS BY 17 PER CENT AS COMPARED WITH THE LAST QUARTER OF 1973.

HE POINTED OUT, HOWEVER, THAT THE VALUE FIGURES FOR 1974 AS A WHOLE SHOWED AN INCREASE OVER THOSE FOR 1973 TO THE EXTENT OF 17.7 PER CENT FOR EXPORTS, 9.2 PER CENT FOR RE-EXPORTS AND 17.6 PER CENT FOR IMPORTS.

NOTE TO EDITORS THE FOLLOWING TABLE WITH COMPARATIVE FIGURES

IS GIVEN FOR YOUR EASY REFERENCE.

COMPARATIVE FIGURES

DOMESTIC EXPORTS B

$1,733 MILLION

IMPORTS

$2,542 MILLION

RE-EXPORTS

$ 527 MILLION

DECEMBER 1974

DECEMBER 1973

$ MN.

$ MN.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

1.733

(%% OF TOTAL EXPORTS)

(76.7%)

1.960 (75.9%)

IMPORTS

2,542

3,057

RE-EXPORTS

527

(% OF TOTAL EXPORTS) (23.3%)

621 (24.1%)

INCREASE OR

DECREASE

$ MN. %

227 −11.6

516

-16.9

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/DOMESTIC EXPORTS