XN000022-1978-03-22 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 1978

2

PROVISIONAL TRADE FIGURES FOR FEBRUARY

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THE VALUE OF HONG KONG'S DOMESTIC EXPORTS FOR LAST MONTH (FEBRUARY) WAS $2,125 MILLION, IMPORTS WERE WORTH $3,910 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS $778 MILLION, ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT'S PROVISIONAL TRADE FIGURES PUBLISHED TODAY.

THE FIGURES FOR THE PERIOD DECEMBER 1977 TO FEBRUARY 1978 (LATEST THREE MONTHS) SHOWED INCREASES, BY VALUE, OF 4.8 PER CENT FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS, 16.3 PER CENT FOR IMPORTS AND 13.9 PER CENT FOR RE-EXPORTS, COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD DECEMBER 1976 TO FEBRUARY 1977.

COMPARED WITH THE SAME MONTH IN 1977, INCREASES, BY VALUE, OF $531 MILLION OR 15.7 PER CENT IN IMPORTS AND $118 MILLION OR 17.9 PER CENT IN RE-EXPORTS AND A DECREASE OF $129 MILLION OR 5.7 PER CENT IN EXPORTS WERE RECORDED.

THE SHORT TERM CHANGES, FEBRUARY 1978 COMPARED WITH JANUARY 1978, SHOWED DECREASES OF 3595 MILLION OR 21.9 PER CENT FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS, #379 MILLION OR 8.8 PER CENT FOR IMPORTS AND $105 MILLION OR 11.8 PER CENT FOR RE-EXPORTS.

THESE DECREASES APPEAR TO BE MAINLY DUE TO SEASONAL FACTORS.

THE FIGURES FOR THE 12-MONTH PERIOD FROM MARCH 1977 TO FEBRUARY 1978 COMPARED WITH THOSE FOR THE PREVIOUS CORRESPONDING 12-MONTH PERIOD SHOWED INCREASES, BY VALUE, OF FIVE PER CENT FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS, 12.2 PER CENT FOR IMPORTS AND 10.2 PER CENT FOR RE-EXPORTS.

FOLLOWING ARE COMPARATIVE TRADE FIGURES:-

LATEST 3 MONTHS

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

IMPORTS

RE-EXPORTS

DECEMBER 1977

TO

FEBRUARY 1978

DECEMBER 1976 INCREASE OR

TO

DECREASE FEBRUARY 1977

MN.

%

3 MN.

MN.

8,423

8,036

387 + 4.8

13,115

11,276

+1,839 +16.3

2,634

2,312

+ 322 +13.9

/SAME MONTH LAST YEAR