XN000022-1978-10-19 — Page 2

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1978

EXTERNAL TRADE FIGURES

******

THE TOTAL VALUE OF HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE FOR THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS THIS YEAR AMOUNTED TO $71,701 MILLION, AN

INCREASE OF 19 PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD OF 1977, ACCORDING TO TRADE FIGURES ISSUED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY.

THE FIGURES ALSO SHOWED THAT DOMESTIC EXPORTS WERE WORTH $25,012 MILLION, INCREASED BY 11 PER CENT IMPORTS AT $38,572 MILLION, UP 23 PER CENT AND RE-EXPORTS AT $8,117 MILLION, UP 30 PER CENT.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO TEN MAJOR OVERSEAS MARKETS ARE AS

FOLLOWS:

INCREASE/

JAN.-AUG. 77

(HK$ MN)

JAN.-AUG. 78

(HK$ MN)

DECREASE

(HK$ MN)

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

U.S.A.

8,812

9,675

+863

+ 10%

F.R. OF GERMANY

2,299

2,625

+326

+ 14%

UNITED KINGDOM

1,863

2,267

+404

+ 22%

JAPAN

867

1,005

+138

+ 16%

AUSTRALIA

828

902

+ 75

9%

CANADA

777

798

+21

3%

SINGAPORE

564

642

+ 77

+ 14%

THE NETHERLANDS

484

557

+ 73

+ 15%

SWITZERLAND AND

LIECHENSTE IN

381

440

+ 60

+ 16%

NIGER IA

255

389

+134

+ 53%

BY COUNTRY, EXPORTS TO U.S.A. ROSE BY 10 PER CENT DUE MAINLY TO INCREASED SHIPMENTS OF ARTICLES OF APPAREL AND CLOTHING ACCESSORIES ($4,020 MILLION, +13 PER CENT) AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS ($451 MILLION, +50 PER CENT). THESE MORE THAN OFFSET THE DECLINES IN EXPORTS OF RADIO BROADCAST RECEIVERS ($396 MILLION, -38 PER CENT) AND OF PLASTIC TOYS AND DOLLS ($788 MILLION, -4 PER CENT).

EXPORTS TO THE U.K. PICKED UP ACTIVELY BECAUSE OF A SIGNIFICANT UPTURN IN DELIVERIES OF ARTICLES OF APPAREL AND CLOTHING ACCESSORIES ($1,174 MILLION, +28 PER CENT). SHIPMENTS OF WATCHES AND CLOCKS TO THE U.K. ALSO ROSE SHARPLY ($128 MILLION, +86 PER CENT).

EXPORT SALES.....