XN000022-1979-06-21 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 1979

1

HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE FOR JANUARY

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-

APRIL 1979

TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE FOR JANUARY - APRIL 1979 WAS $44,742 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF 38 PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD OF 1978 ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (THURSDAY),

EXPORTS WERE VALUED AT $20,065 MILLION, A RISE OF 39 PER CENT, THIS WAS ATTRIBUTED TO INCREASES IN BOTH DOMESTIC EXPORTS ($14,270 MILLION, + 33 PER CENT) AND RE-EXPORTS ($5,795 MILLION, 59 PER CENT). IMPORTS ROSE BY 37 PER CENT, REACHING $24,676 MILLION.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO 10 MAJOR OVERSEAS MARKETS ARE AS FOLLOWS

JAN.-APR. 79 JAN.-APR. 78 INCREASE

(HK$ MN)

(HK$ MN)

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

(HK$ MN)

U.S.A.

4,584

4,003

+ 581

+ 15

F.R. OF GERMANY

1,659

1,135

+ 524

+ 46

U.K.

1,646

922

+ 724

+ 79

JAPAN

752

429

+ 323

+ 75

AUSTRALIA

501

406

95

+ 23

CANADA

418

349

69

+ 20

SINGAPORE

392

293

99

+ 34

NETHERLANDS

366

239

+ 127

+ 53

SWEDEN

250

146

+ 104

+71

FRANCE

237

136

+ 101

+ 74

DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE U.S. ROSE BY 15 PER CENT, MAINLY DUE TO INCREASED DELIVERIES OF CLOTHING ($1,697 MILLION, NINE PER CENT), PLASTIC TOYS AND DOLLS ($366 MILLION, + 40 PER CENT), WATCHES AND CLOCKS ($241 MILLION, 25 PER CENT) AS WELL AS ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS AND PARTS FOR COMPUTERS ($201 MILLION, + TWO PER CENT).

THE INCREASE IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE F.R. OF GERMANY WAS ATTRIBUTED MAINLY TO HIGHER DEMANDS FOR CLOTHING ($969 MILLION, + 52 PER CENT), TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING EQUIPMENT ($178 MILLION, + 26 PER CENT), AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS ($109 MILLION, 113 PER CENT).

SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE U.K. WERE REGISTERED IN CLOTHING ($882 MILLION, 80 PER CENT), TEXTILES ($169 MILLION, + 76 PER CENT), AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS ($86 MILLION, + 112 PER CENT).

+76

/INCREASES WERE