XN000022-1978-02-05 — Page 5

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1978

THE FOLLOWING TABLE ILLUSTRATES THE IMPORTANT CHANGES IN IMPORTS BY COMMODITY SECTIONS:-

MANUFACTURED GOODS

CLASS IF IED CHIEFLY BY

1976 (HK$ MN)

1977

INCREASE/

(HK$ MN)

DECREASE (HK$ MN)

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

13,367

14,466

+ 1,099

+ 8.2%

MATERIAL (MAINLY

TEXTILE YARN, FABRICS

AND DIAMONDS)

MACHINERY AND TRANSPORT

7,701

9.331

+ 1,629

+ 21.2%

EQUIPMENT

FOOD AND LIVE

6,687

7,230

543

8.1%

ANIMALS

MISCELLANEOUS

5,075

6,655

+ 1,580

+ 31.1%

MANUFACTURED ARTICLES

(MAINLY WATCHES AND

CLOCKS)

CHEMICALS

3,419

3,633

214

6.3%

CRUDE MATERIALS,

3,328

3,322

6

0.2%

INEDIBLE EXCEPT

FUELS MAINLY TEXTILE

FIBRES)

AMONG THE INCREASED IMPORTS ARE PROFESSIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CONTROLLING INSTRUMENTS- PHOTOGRAPHIC AND OPTICAL GOODS, WATCHES AND CLOCKS, (VALUED AT $3,159 MILLION OR + 34.2 PER CENT), TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT (VALUED AT $1,448 MILLION OR 92 PER CENT) ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (VALUED AT $5,023 MILLION OR + 15.7 PER CENT), MISCELLANEOUS NON-METALLIC MINERAL MANUFACTURES (VALUED AT $3,283 MILLION OR + 22.8 PER CENT) AND PETROLEUM AND PETROLEUM PRODUCTS (VALUED AT $2,907 MILLION OR + 12.3 PER CENT). HOWEVER, IMPORTS OF TEXTILE FIBRES (- 12.1 PER CENT AND VALUED AT $1,738 MILLION) AND TEXTILE YARN, FABRICS MADE-UP ARTICLES AND RELATED PRODUCTS (- 1.4 PER CENT AND VALUED AT $6,539 MILLION) WERE SLUGGISH.

RE-EXPORTS TO JAPAN, VALUED AT $1,339 MILLION, WERE DOWN BY 10.7 PER CENT LAST YEAR DUE MAINLY TO THE DECLINES IN RE-EXPORTS OF COMMODITIES SUCH AS COFFEE, TEA AND COCOA.

IN CONTRAST, RE-EXPORTS TO SINGAPORE (AT $1,063 MILLION) AND INDONESIA (AT $1,059 MILLION) WERE MORE BUOYANT, INCREASING BY 13.3 PER CENT AND 49.6 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY. INCREASE OF RE-EXPORTS MAINLY OCCURRED IN CAPITAL GOODS, E.G. ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLICANCES (VALUED AT $817 MILLION OR + 28.7 PER CENT) AND TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT (VALUED AT $215 MILLION OR + 156.6 PER CENT). ON THE OTHER HAND, RE-EXPORTS OF TEXTILE YARN AND THREAD (VALUED AT $295 MILLION OR + 66.7 PER CENT) ALSO REGISTERED A FAVOURABLE INCREASE.