XN000022-1977-10-28 — Page 2

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1977

PROVISIONAL TRADE FIGURES FOR SEPTEMBER ******

THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY PUBLISHED THE PROVISIONAL FIGURES FOR HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL MERCHANDISE TRADE DURING LAST MONTH (SEPTEMBER). THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS FOR SEPTEMBER WAS $2,984 MILLION, IMPORTS WERE WORTH $3,745 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS $824 MILLION.

THE FIGURES FOR THE PERIOD JULY TO SEPTEMBER (LATEST THREE MONTHS) SHOWED INCREASES BY VALUE COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1976 OF 7.5 PER CENT FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS, 7 PER CENT FOR IMPORTS AND 11.1 PER CENT FOR RE-EXPORTS.

COMPARED WITH THE SAME MONTH IN 1976, DECREASES BY VALUE OF $78 MILLION OR 2.5 PER CENT IN EXPORTS AND $14 MILLION OR 0.4 PER CENT IN IMPORTS, AND INCREASES BY VALUE OF $23 MILLION OR 2.9 PER CENT IN RE-EXPORTS WERE RECORDED.

THE SHORT-TERM CHANGES, SEPTEMBER 1977 COMPARED WITH AUGUST 1977, SHOWED DECREASES OF $333 MILLION OR 10 PER CENT FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS, $14 MILLION OR 0.4 PER CENT FOR IMPORTS AND $16 MILLION OR 2 PER CENT FOR RE-EXPORTS. THE DECLINE IN EXPORTS FOR SEPTEMBER APPEARS TO BE FOLLOWING THE SEASONAL PATTERN AFTER THE ANNUAL PEAK IN JULY.

THE FIGURES FOR THE 12-MONTH PERIOD FROM OCTOBER 1976 TO SEPTEMBER 1977 COMPARED WITH THOSE OF THE PREVIOUS 12-MONTH PERIOD SHOWED INCREASES BY VALUE OF 12.7 PER CENT FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS, 13.4 PER CENT FOR IMPORTS AND 13.3 PER CENT FOR RE-EXPORTS.

THE FOLLOWING TABLE GIVES THE COMPARATIVE TRADE FIGURES :

JULY

-

LATEST 3 MONTHS

SEPT. 1977

JULY-SEPT. 1976

INCREASE OR DECREASE

MN.

$

MN.

$

MN.

%

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

9,696

9,022

674

7.5

IMPORTS

11,743

10,972

+ 771

7.3

RE-EXPORTS

2,480

2,232

248

+ 11.1

/SAME MONTH