XN000022-1978-08-14 — Page 5

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MONDAY, AUGUST 14, 1978

A SIGNIFICANT LEVEL OF INCREASE IN THE IMPORTS OF PEARLS, PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES ($327 MILLION, +63 PER CENT) FROM THE U.S. WAS REGISTERED.

J

IMPORTS FROM F.R. OF GERMANY, SWITZERLAND AND AUSTRALIA WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE FIRST HALF OF 1977 BECAUSE OF MORE IMPORTS OF WATCHES AND CLOCKS AND DYEING, TANNING AND COLOURING MATERIALS.

THE FOLLOWING TABLE ILLUSTRATES THE CHANGES IN IMPORTS BY COMMODITY SECTIONS:

MANUFACTURED

INCREASE/

JAN,-JUNE 77

(HK$ MN.)

JAN.-JUNE 78

(HK$ MN.)

DECREASE (HK$ MN.)

PERCENTAGE

CHANGE

GOODS

CLASSIFIED

CHIEFLY BY

MATERIAL

7,045

8,916

+1,871

+27%

(MAINLY

TEXTILE

PRODUCTS AND

DIAMONDS)

MACHINERY AND

TRANSPORT

4.642

5,499

857

+18%

EQUIPMENT

FOOD AND LIVE

ANIMALS

CHIEFLY

3,486

3,844

358

+10%

FOR FOOD

MISCELLANEOUS

MANUFACTURED

ARTICLES

(MAINLY

2,773

3,744

972

+35%

WATCHES AND

CLOCKS

ARTICLES

OF APPAREL)

CHEMICALS AND

RELATED PRODUCTS

1,774

2,075

302

+17%

ACCELERATED INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN THE IMPORTS OF MAJOR RAW MATERIALS AND CONSUMER GOODS, INCLUDING PEARLS, SEMI-PRECIOUS AND PRECIOUS STONES ($1,798 MILLION, +65 PER CENT), TEXTILE FABRICS ($2,390 MILLION, +25 PER CENT), WATCHES AND CLOCKS ($1,300 MILLION, +33 PER CENT), IRON AND STEEL ($856 MILLION, +26 PER CENT).

/IN ADDITION,