XN000022-1977-08-07 — Page 4

3

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 1977

EXPORTS OF CLOTHING CONTINUED TO DECLINE BY 6.7 PER CENT. THE INCREASE IN EXPORTS OF MISCELLANEOUS MANUFACTURED ARTICLES WAS MAINLY ATTRIBUTED TO INCREASED EXPORTS OF PLASTIC ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS (+$30 MILLION) AND TOYS (+$364 MILLION).

EXPORTS OF ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES RECORDED A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE BY 33.8 PER CENT BECAUSE OF AN INCREASE OF $165 MILLION IN ALL TRANSISTOR IZED RADIOS AND $105 MILLION IN ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS AND PARTS FOR COMPUTER. THE DROP OF 17.2 PER CENT IN THE EXPORTS OF TEXTILE YARNS, FABRICS, MADE-UP-ARTICLES AND RELATED PRODUCTS WAS DUE TO REDUCTIONS IN EXPORTS OF TEXTILE YARN (-$34 MILLION) AND FABRICS (-$240 MILLION).

EXPORTS OF-WATONES AND CLOCKS TOTALLED $642 MILLION IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR, REPRESENTING AN INCREASE OF 34.5 PER CENT OVER THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD OF LAST YEAR.

CHANGES OF IMPORTS FROM TEN MAJOR SOURCES ARE RECORDED

BELOW:

JAN-JUNE 1976

JAN-JUNE 1977 PERCENTAGE CHANGE

(HK$ MN.)

(HK$ MN.)

JAPAN

4,530

5,471

+20,8%

CHINA

3,615

3,685

+1.9%

U.S.A.

2,404

3,095

+28.7%

TA IWAN

1,467

1,650

+12.5%

SINGAPORE

1,222

1,416

+15.8%

UNITED KINGDOM

892

1,010

+13.2%

SOUTH KOREA

754

834

+10.6%

THAILAND

362

438

+20.8%

ITALY

228

312

+36.7%

ISRAEL

205

279

+36.2%

THE INCREASE IN IMPORTS FROM JAPAN WAS LARGELY EXPLAINED BY A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE IMPORTS OF TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT (+$258 MILLION). OTHER INCREASES OCCURRED IN ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (+$106 MILLION), MACHINERY, OTHER THAN ELECTRIC (+$123 MILLION), PROFESSIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND CONTROLLING INSTRUMENTS- PHOTOGRAPHIC AND OPTICAL GOODS, WATCHES AND CLOCKS (+$189 MILLION).

+

INCREASES OF IMPORTS OF TEXTILE FIBRES (+$423 MILLION), ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS (+$105 MILLION) FROM U.S.A. CHIEFLY ACCOUNTED FOR A 28.7% INCREASE IN IMPORT VALUE.

THE FOLLOWING LISTS OUT THE MORE IMPORTANT CHANGES IN COMMODITY SECTIONS: