XN000022-1978-06-15 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 1978

HONG KONG'S EXPORTS FOR JANUARY-APRIL UP NEARLY 9 PER CENT

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THE VALUE OF HONG KONG'S DOMESTIC EXPORTS FOR THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS (JANUARY - APRIL) THIS YEAR ROSE BY 8.7 PER CENT TO $10,752 MILLION COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO TRADE FIGURES RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY.

THE FIGURES ALSO SHOWED THAT THE VALUE OF IMPORTS BETWEEN JANUARY AND APRIL THIS YEAR INCREASED BY 18.3 PER CENT TO $18,064 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS UP BY 22.4 PER CENT TO $3,651 MILLION AS COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD LAST YEAR.

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

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

JAN.-APR.77

(HK$ MN)

JAN.-APR.78

(HK$ MN)

INCREASE/DECREASE

(HK$ MN)

U.S.A.

3,617

4,003

+387

+ 11%

F.R. OF

1,081

1,135

+ 55

5%

GERMANY

UNITED

872

922

+ 50

8%

KINGDOM

AUSTRALIA

403

406

3

1%

JAPAN

364

429

+ 65

+ 18%

CANADA

338

349

+ 11

SINGAPORE

252

293

+41

3%

+ 16%

THE NETHERLANDS

226

239

+ 12

+

5%

NIGERIA

116

235

+119

+103%

SWITZERLAND

189

203

+ 14

7%

EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES WERE BOOSTED BY INCREASED DELIVERIES OF ARTICLES OF APPAREL AND CLOTHING ACCESSORIES ($1,562 MILLION, +12.9 PER CENT) AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS (193 MILLION, +56.1 PER CENT).

EXPORTS TO NIGERIA ROSE TO $235 MILLION, GAINING AN IMPRESSIVE GROWTH RATE OF 103.1 PER CENT, EXPORTS TO F.R. OF GERMANY AND UNITED KINGDOM TOOK A MODEST UPTURN BECAUSE OF IMPROVED SALES PERFORMANCE OF CLOTHING AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS. EXPORTS OF APPAREL AND CLOTHING ACCESSORIES TO THESE TWO COUNTRIES WERE VALUED AT $636 MILLION (+5.3 PER CENT) AND $490 MILLION (+14.6 PER CENT) RESPECTIVELY. THE VALUE OF EXPORTS OF WATCHES AND CLOCKS TO F.R. OF GERMANY AT $51 MILLION REPRESENTED A SIZEABLE INCREASE OF 113.8 PER CENT.

/EXPORTS