XN000022-1979-06-21 — Page 4

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 1979

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THE CHANGES IN IMPORTS FROM 10 MAJOR SOURCES ARE SUMMARISED AS FOLLOWS #

JAN.-APR. 79 (HK$ MN)

JAN.-APR. 78 (HK$ MN)

INCREASE (HK$ MN)

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

JAPAN

5,594

4,072

+ 1,522

+37

CHINA

3.985

2,912

+ 1,073

+ 37

U.S.A.

2,849

2,297

552

24

TAIWAN

1,719

1,150

569

+ 49

SINGAPORE

1,295

984

311

+ 32

U.K.

1,191

794

397

+ 50

2 2

F.R. OF GERMANY

840

605

235

+ 39

SWITZERLAND

798

539

259

+ 48

REP. OF KOREA

(SOUTH KOREA)

742

539

203

+ 38

FRANCE

457

312

145

46

IMPORTS FROM JAPAN WERE BOOSTED BY INCREASED ARRIVALS OF TEXTILES ($868 MILLION, 17 PER CENT), ELECTRICAL MACHINERY AND APPLIANCES ($568 MILLION, + 83 PER CENT), TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING EQUIPMENT ($496 MILLION, + 75 PER CENT), WATCHES AND CLOCKS ($489 MILLION, +49 PER CENT), IRON AND STEEL ($336 MILLION, + 27 PER CENT), AND ROAD VEHICLES ($330 MILLION, + 25 PER CENT).

INCREASES IN IMPORTS FROM CHINA COMPRISED CHIEFLY OF FOODSTUFFS AND RAW MATERIALS, INCLUDING TEXTILES ($858 MILLION, + 75 PER CENT), PETROLEUM AND RELATED MATERIALS ($325 MILLION, 60 PER CENT), VEGETABLES AND FRUITS ($227 MILLION, 18 PER CENT), FISH, CRUSTACEANS AND MOLLUSCS ($156 MILLION, + 32 PER CENT), AND MISCELLANEOUS NON-METALLIC MINERAL MANUFACTURES ($154 MILLION, + 41 PER CENT).

IMPORTS FROM THE U.S. ROSE BY 24 PER CENT, MAINLY DUE TO A RISE IN DEMAND FOR PEARLS, PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES ($299 MILLION, 47 PER CENT), OFFICE MACHINES AND AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT ($255 MILLION, + 31 PER CENT), AND ELECTRICAL MACHINERY AND APPLIANCES ($249 MILLION, 30 PER CENT).

INCREASES WERE ALSO REGISTERED IN SHIPMENTS OF TEXTILES ($731 MILLION, 53 PER CENT) AND ELECTRICAL MACHINERY AND APPLIANCES ($159 MILLION, 62 PER CENT) FROM TAIWAN AND OF PETROLEUM AND RELATED MATERIALS ($705 MILLION, 18 PER CENT) FROM SINGAPORE.

/THE FOLLOWING

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