XN000022-1979-08-08 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 1979

THE FOLLOWING TABLE ILLUSTRATES THE MORE IMPORTANT CHANGES IN IMPORTS BY COMMODITY SECTION:

JAN-JUNE 79

(HK$ MN)

JAN-JUNE 78

(HK$ MN)

INCREASE (HK$ MN)

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

MANUFACTURED GOODS

12,446

8,916

+ 3,530

+ 40

CLASS IF IED

CHIEFLY BY

MATERIAL (MAINLY

TEXTILE PRODUCTS

AND DIAMONDS)

MACHINERY AND

8,357

5,499

+ 2,858

+ 52

TRANSPORT

EQUIPMENT

MISCELLANEOUS

5,456

3,744

+ 1,712

+ 46

MANUFACTURED

ARTICLES (MAINLY

WATCHES AND

CLOCKS, ARTICLES

OF APPAREL)

FOOD AND LIVE

4,346

3,844

502

+ 13

ANIMALS CHIEFLY

FOR FOOD

CHEMICALS AND

3,008

2,075

933

+45

RELATED PRODUCTS

CRUDE MATERIALS

2,028

1,951

77

INEDIBLE

EXCEPT FUELS

INCREASES IN IMPORTS WERE MAINLY BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE GROWTH IN ARRIVALS OF TEXTILES ($5,535 MILLION, 44 PER CENT), ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES ($2,573 MILLION, +55 PER CENT), WATCHES AND CLOCKS ($1,905 MILLION, + 47 PER CENT), PETROLEUM AND RELATED PRODUCTS ($1,900 MILLION, + 31 PER CENT) AS WELL AS IRON AND STEEL ($1,252 MILLION, +46 PER CENT).

REMARKABLE INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN RE-EXPORTS TO JAPAN ($1,379 MILLION, + 39 PER CENT), U.S.A. ($914 MILLION, + 66 PER CENT) TAIWAN ($864 MILLION, + 58 PER CENT), SINGAPORE ($809 MILLION, + 26 PER CENT) AND INDONESIA ($760 MILLION, 23 PER CENT).

BY COMMODITY, INCREASES IN RE-EXPORTS WERE CHIEFLY IN TEXTILES ($1,308 MILLION, 94 PER CENT), PEARLS, PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES ($1,207 MILLION, +43 PER CENT), ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES ($526 MILLION, +92 PER CENT), WATCHES AND CLOCKS ($525 MILLION, + 27 PER CENT) AND CLOTHING ($382 MILLION, 89 PER CENT).

THE TRADE