XN000022-1978-04-05 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 1978

TRADE FIGURES FOR JANUARY ******

THE VALUE OF HONG KONG'S DOMESTIC EXPORTS FOR JANUARY THIS YEAR ROSE BY 1.2 PER CENT TO $2,721 MILLION COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO TRADE FIGURES RELEASED BY CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY.

THE FIGURES ALSO SHOWED THAT THE VALUE OF IMPORTS IN JANUARY THIS YEAR INCREASED BY 11.9 PER CENT TO $4,288 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS UP BY 4.9 PER CENT TO $882 MILLION AS COMPARED WITH CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1977.

THE FOLLOWING TABLE SHOWS HONG KONG'S DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO 10 MAJOR MARKETS:

JAN. 1977 JAN. 1978

INCREASE/ DECREASE

PERCENTAGE

(HK$ MN)

(HK$ MN)

(HK$ MN)

CHANGE

U.S.A.

918

996

+ 78

+ 8.5%

F.R. OF GERMANY

332

287

45

UNITED KINGDOM

226

214

-

AUSTRALIA

123

135

+ 12

12

-13.5%

5.2%

+ 9.4%

JAPAN

94

111

+ 17

+17.7%

CANADA

94

84

10

-10.7%

SINGAPORE

71

82

+ 11

+15.6%

NETHERLANDS

67

62

#

-

· 6.7%

SWITZERLAND AND

LIECHTENSTEIN

60

62

+ 3.9%

SWEDEN.

73

32

-41

-56.0%

EXPORTS TO FIVE OF THESE 10 MAJOR MARKETS SHOWED POSITIVE GROWTH RATES. HOWEVER, THESE INCREASES WERE OFFSET BY THE DECLINES IN EXPORTS TO THE OTHER FIVE MARKETS. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DROP WAS RECORDED IN EXPORTS TO SWEDEN. DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE U.S. SLOWED DOWN CONSIDERABLY, ONLY REGISTERING AN INCREASE OF 8.5 PER CENT IN CONTRAST WITH THE 20.6 PER CENT GROWTH RATE RECORDED FOR THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

/THE CONTINUED