XN000022-1978-04-25 — Page 5

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TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 1978

HK TRADE FIGURES FOR JANUARY

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d

FEBRUARY

THE VALUE OF HONG KONG'S DOMESTIC EXPORTS FOR JANUARY-FEBRUARY THIS YEAR DROPPED BY TWO PER CENT TO $4,846 MILLION COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO TRADE FIGURES RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT EXPLAINED THAT THE LOW TRADING ACTIVITY WAS MAINLY DUE TO SEASONAL EFFECT, SUCH AS THE USUAL OCCURRENCE OF CHINESE NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS AND FEWER TRADING DAYS IN FEBRUARY.

THE FIGURES ALSO SHOWED THAT THE VALUE OF IMPORTS ROSE PY 13.7 PER CENT TO 38,197 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS UP 10.6 PER CENT TO $1,660 MILLION AS COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD LAST YEAR.

THE FOLLOWING TABLE SHOWS HONG KONG'S DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO 10 MAJOR MARKETS IN THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF THIS YEAR:-

JAN.-FEB.

1977

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

(HK$ MN)

JAN.-FEB.

1978 (HKG MN)

INCREASE/ DECREASE

(HKO MN)

U.S.A.

1,712

1,742

+ 30

+ 1.7

F.R. OF GERMANY

589

525

64

UNITED KINGDOM

414

381

33

AUSTRALIA

231

212

19

-10.8%

8.0%

8.1

JAPAN

174

190

+16

+ 9.0

CANADA

173

153

- 21

-12.

SINGAPORE

124

139

+ 16

+12.0

THE NETHERLANDS

122

109

- 13

-10.5%

SWITZERLAND AND

LIECHTENSTEIN

106

100

6

5.3.

SWEDEN

118

71

-

47

-39.7:

OVERALL EXPORTS TO THE U.S. MARKET ROSE BY 1.7 PER CENT, WITH AN IMPRESSIVE GROWTH RATE RECORDED IN WATCHES AND CLOCKS ($76 MILLION, +42 PER CENT) AND A STEEP DECLINE REGISTERED IN TEXTILE FABRICS (39 MILLION, -37.3 PER CENT).

DELIVERIES TO F.R. OF GERMANY, CANADA, AUSTRALIA AND SWEDEN WERE AFFECTED BY THE SLUGGISH DEMAND FOR APPAREL AND TEXTILE ARTICLES.

/THE DROP