XN000022-1978-04-19 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 1978

HONG KONG'S RE-EXPORT TRADE IN 1977

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HONG KONG'S RE-EXPORTS IN 1977 AMOUNTED TO $9,829 MILLION AN INCREASE OF 10.1 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 2.3 PER CENT IN VOLUME COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

ACCORDING TO RE-EXPORT TRADE FIGURES RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY, THE INCREASE IN VALUE OF THIS TRADE WAS ATTRIBUTED MAINLY TO A SHARP RISE OF 7.7 PER CENT IN RE-EXPORT PRICES.

MOST OF THE RE-EXPORTS WERE DESTINED TO ASIAN COUNTRIES WHICH ALTOGETHER ACCOUNTED FOR 68 PER CENT OF TOTAL VALUE OF RE-EXPORTS.

COMPARED TO 1976, JAPAN, A LEADING MARKET FOR RE-EXPORTS RECORDED A SHARP DECLINE OF 10.7 PER CENT TO $1.339 MILLION LAST YEAR. MAJOR DECLINES OF RE-EXPORTS TO JAPAN OCCURRED IN NON- METALLIC MINERAL MANUFACTURES, COFFEE, TEA AND COCOA.

HOWEVER, $IGNIFICANT INCREASES IN RE-EXPORTS WERE REGISTERED FOR OTHER MAJOR ASIAN MARKETS SUCH AS SINGAPORE (VALUED AT $1,063 MILLION, +13.3 PER CENT), INDONESIA ($1,059 MILLION, +49.6 PER CENT), TAIWAN ($872 MILLION, +7 PER CENT) AND SOUTH KOREA ($456 MILLION, +18.3 PER CENT).

THE FOLLOWING TABLE SHOWS THE CHANGES IN RE-EXPORT TRADE BY END-USE CLASSIFICATION BETWEEN 1976 AND 1977.

VALUE OF RE-EXPORTS IN

1976

1977

% CHANGE

IN VALUE 1977/1976

(HK$ MN.)

CONSUMER GOODS

4,076

4,296

+ 5.4%

DIAMONDS

780

741

- 5.0%

WATCHES

554

623

+12.3%

JADE AND PRECIOUS STONES,

IVORY, JEWELLERY,

GOLDSMITHS' AND

506

449

-11.3%

SILVERSMITHS WARES

MEDICINAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL

PRODUCTS.

367

375

+ 2.4%

TEXTILE MADE-UPS AND RELATED

ARTICLES

324

350

+ 8.1%

/RAW MATERIALS