XN000022-1975-10-30 — Page 2

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, -75

SEPTEMBER EXPORTS UP BY 18 PER CENT ******

THE VALUE OF HONG KONG'S DOMESTIC TRADE WENT UP FOR THE FIRST TIME LAST MONTH AFTER DECLINING FOR ELEVEN CONSECUTIVE MONTHS.

PROVISIONAL TRADE FIGURES ISSUED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT SHOW THAT DOMESTIC EXPORTS IN SEPTEMBER WENT UP BY $361 MILLION OR 18.2 PER CENT BY VALUE COMPARED WIT! SEPTEMBER 1974. TOTAL EXPORTS FOR THE MONTH WERE VALUED AT $2,342 MILLION THE HIGHEST MONTHLY FIGURE EVER RECORDED

IN TERMS OF VALUE.

AT THE SAME TIME, THE VALUE OF IMPORTS ROSE BY 17.6 PER CENT TO $3,152 MILLION WHILE RE-EXPORTS VENT UP IN VALUE BY 1.2 PER CENT TO $605 MILLION COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR.

COMMENTING ON THE FIGURES, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT SAID IT WAS MOST ENCOURAGING TO SEE THIS RECOVERY IN HONG KONG'S DOMESTIC EXPORTS.

FIGURES FOR THE PERIOD JANUARY-SEPTEMBER 1975 SHOWED DECREASES BY VALUE OF 8.3 PER CENT FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS, 10.7 PER CENT FOR IMPORTS AND 8.2 PER CENT FOR RE-EXPORTS COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.

THE VALUE FIGURES FOR THE 12-MONTH PERIOD OCTOBER 1974 TO SEPTEMBER 1975 SHOWED DECREASES OF 8.9 PER CENT FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS, 12.3 PER CENT FOR IMPORTS AND 11.4 PER CENT FOR RE-EXPORTS COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS 12-MONTH PERIOD.

THE FOLLOWING TABLE LISTS THE COMPARATIVE FIGURES.

COMPARATIVE FIGURES

SEPTEMBER

1975

SEPTEMBER

1974

INCREASE OR

DECREASE

$ MN.

$

MN.

$ MN. %

DOMESTIC EXPORTS (% OF TOTAL EXPORTS)

2,342 (79.5%)

1,981 (76.8%)

361

+ 18.2

IMPORTS

3,152

2,679

473 + 17.6

RE-EXPORTS

605

(% OF TOTAL EXPORTS)

(20.5%)

598 (23.2%)

7

+ 1.2

/JULY-SEPT