XN000022-1979-04-21 — Page 2

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 1979

COUNTRY AND COMMODITY BREAKDOWN FIGURES FOR HONG KONG'S

EXTERNAL TRADE FOR JANUARY - FEBRUARY 1979

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MERCHANDISE TRADE FOR THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF 1979 INCREASED BY 36 PER CENT OVER THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD OF 1978, AMOUNTING TO $19,973 MILLION.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS ROSE BY 30 PER CENT TO $6,286 MILLION, RE-EXPORTS BY 59 PER CENT TO $2,639 MILLION, AND IMPORT BY 35 PER CENT TO $11,048 MILLION, ACCORDING TO DETAILED MERCHANDISE TRADE STATISTICS RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (SATURDAY) FOR JANUARY-FEBRUARY, 1979.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO TEN MAJOR OVERSEAS MARKETS ARE AS FOLLOWS:-

(HK$ MN)

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

JAN.-FEB. 79

JAN.-FEB. 78 (HK$ MN)

INCREASE (HK$ MN)

U.S.A.

2,042

1,742

+300

+17

F.R. OF GERMANY

760

525

+235

+45

U.K.

709

381

+328

+86

JAPAN

320

190

+131

+69

AUSTRALIA

245

212

+ 33

+16

CANADA

187

153

+34

+22

SINGAPORE

171

139

+ 32

+23

NETHERLANDS

163

109

+ 54

+50

SWEDEN

114

71

+ 43

+61

SWITZERLAND

105

100

5

+ 5

DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF CLOTHING ($733 MILLION, +9 PER CENT), PLASTIC TOYS AND DOLLS ($163 MILLION, +48 PER CENT) AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS ($108 MILLION, +42 PER CENT) TO THE U.S.A. CONTINUED ON AN UPWARD TREND. THUS, IN SPITE OF THE DECLINES IN RADIO BROADCAST RECEIVERS ($67 MILLION, -9 PER CENT), PLASTIC ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS ($29 MILLION, -17 PER CENT) AND GRAMOPHONES, DICTATING MACHINES. TELEVISION IMAGE AND OTHER SOUND RECORDERS OF REPRODUCERS ($13 MILLION, -28 PER CENT), THERE WAS STILL AN OVERALL INCREASE OF 17 PER CENT IN SALES TO THIS MARKET.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO F.R. OF GERMANY ALSO MOVED UPWARDS, DUE MAINLY TO RISES IN DEMAND FOR CLOTHING ($450 MILLION, +52 PER CENT), TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING EQUIPMENT ($82 MILLION, +22 PER CENT), AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS ($52 MILLION, +119 PER CENT).

/PROMINENT GROWTH