XN000022-1979-09-18 — Page 2

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1979

JANUARY TO JULY STATISTICS FOR HK'S EXTERNAL TRADE

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HONG KONG'S TOTAL VALUE OF TRADE FOR THE FIRST SEVEN MONTHS OF THIS YEAR AMOUNTED TO $85 478 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF 40 PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD OF 1978, ACCORDING TO EXTERNAL TRADE FIGURES RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (TUESDAY).

DOMESTIC EXPORTS ROSE BY 36 PER CENT TO $28 577 MILLION, RE-EXPORTS BY 57 PER CENT TO $10 849 MILLION AND IMPORTS BY 38 PER CENT TO $46 053 MILLION. EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS TOGETHER ROSE BY 41 PER CENT.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO 10 MAJOR OVERSEAS MARKETS ARE AS

FOLLOWS I

JAN.-JULY 79 (HK$ MN)

JAN.-JULY 78 (HK$ MN)

INCREASE (HK$ MN)

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

U.S.A.

9 670

8 142

+1 528

+19

F.R. OF GERMANY

3 198

2 175

+1 023

+47

U.K.

3 104

1 888

+1 216

+64

JAPAN

1 429

822

607

+74

AUSTRALIA

909

744

165

+22

CANADA

872

682

190

+28

SINGAPORE

749

542

207

+38

NETHERLANDS

707

464

243

+52

SWEDEN

507

280

227

+81

SWITZERLAND

471

385

86

+22

GROWTH IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE U.S. MARKET REMAINED RATHER SLOW. INCREASES WERE REGISTERED MAINLY IN CLOTHING (83 798 MILLION, +12%), PLASTIC TOYS AND DOLLS ($861 MILLION, +37%), ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES ($749 MILLION, +46%), AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS ($503 MILLION, +37%). SLIGHT DECLINES WERE RECORDED IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF RADIO BROADCAST RECEIVERS ($299 MILLION, -11%).

DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY CONTINUED ON A STEADY UPWARD TREND WITH SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN CLOTHING ($1 899 MILLION, +48%), TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT ($328 MILLION, +38%) AS WELL AS WATCHES AND CLOCKS ($214 MILLION, +134%).

/DOMESTIC EXPORTS.....