XN000022-1977-12-11 — Page 5

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1977

THE FOLLOWING TABLE SHOWS THE IMPORTANT CHANGES IN IMPORTS BY COMMODITY SECTIONS:

JAN.-OCT.

1976

INCREASE/

DECREASE

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

(HK$ MN)

JAN.-OCT.

1977 (HK$ MN)

(HK$ MN)

MANUFACTURED GOODS

11,046

11,674

628

5.7%

CLASSIFIED CHIEFLY

BY MATERIAL (MAINLY

TEXTILE YARN, FABRICS,

AND DIAMONDS

MACHINERY AND

6,268

7,579

* 1,311

+ 20.9%

TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT

FOOD AND LIVE

5,428

5,906

478

8.8%

AN IMALS

MISCELLANEOUS

4,031

5,240

+ 1,209

+ 30.0%

MANUFACTURED ARTICLES

(MAINLY WATCHES AND

CLOCKS)

CHEMICALS

2,838

2,962

CRUDE MATERIALS,

2,811

2,730

1

124

4.4%

81

-

2.9%

INEDIBLE EXCEPT FUEL

(MAINLY TEXTILE FIBRES)

IMPORTS OF TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT (+ $572 MILLION OR + 94.9%) AND ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (+ $569 MILLION OR + 16.3%) INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY, REFLECTING STRONG DEMAND FOR CAPITAL GOODS.

OTHER INCREASES WERE REGISTERED IN WATCHES AND CLOCKS (+ $469 MILLION OR + 26.8%), NON-METALLIC MINERAL MANUFACTURES, N.E.S. (+ $411 MILLION OR +18.8%) AND PETROLEUM AND PETROLEUM PRODUCTS (+ $243 MILLION OR + 11.1%).

DUE TO THE SLUGGISH DEMAND FOR EXPORTS OF TEXTILES AND CLOTHING, THERE WAS A DECLINE IN IMPORT VALUES OF TEXTILE FIBRES (- $296 MILLION OR - 16.9%), TEXTILE YARN, FABRICS, MADE-UP ARTICLES AND RELATED PRODUCTS (- $302 MILLION OR 5.4%).

FOR THE FIRST TEN MONTHS THIS YEAR, RE-EXPORTS TO JAPAN WENT DOWN BY $116 MILLION OR 9.4 PER CENT. HOWEVER, RE-EXPORTS TO SEVERAL ASIAN MARKETS GAINED CONSIDERABLY, WITH RE-EXPORTS TO INDONESIA INCREASING BY $253 MILLION OR 43.2 PER CENT, SINGAPORE (+ $105 MILLION OR + 14.1%), SOUTH KOREA (+ $65 MILLION OR + 20.4%).

/INCREASES IN