XN000022-1979-12-16 — Page 4

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1979

ON THE OTHER HAND, DECLINES WERE REGISTERED IN SALES OF PROFESSIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CONTROLLING INSTRUMENTS AND APPARATUS (BY $20 MILLION OR 19%) AS WELL AS CRUDE ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE MATERIALS (BY $5 MILLION OR 8%).

THE CHANGES IN IMPORTS FROM TEN MAJOR SOURCES ARE SUMMARIZED AS FOLLOWS :-

JAN.-OCT. 79 (HK$ M.)

JAN.-OCT. 78 (HK$ M.)

INCREASE (HK$ M.)

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

JAPAN

15 683

11 362

+ 4 321

+ 38%

CHINA

11 897

8 315

+ 3 582

+ 43%

U.S.A.

8 469

6 090

+ 2 379

+ 39%

TAIWAN

4 781

3 328

+ 1 453

+ 44%

SINGAPORE

3 925

2 618

+ 1 307

+ 50%

U.K.

3 579

2 301

+ 1 278

+ 56%

F.R. OF GERMANY

2 284

1 631

653

+ 40%

SWITZERLAND

2 083

1 612

471

+ 29%

REP. OF KOREA

2 029

1 408

621

+ 4496

AUSTRALIA

1 281

1 021

260

+ 25%

INCREASES IN IMPORTS FROM JAPAN WERE MAINLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE RISE IN DEMAND FOR ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (BY $601 MILLION OR 62%), TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS (BY $522 MILLION OR 63%), TEXTILES (BY $457 MILLION OR 24%), WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $412 MILLION OR 41%) IRON AND STEEL (BY $260 MILLION OR 35%), AND ROAD VEHICLES (BY $233 MILLION OR 34%).

INCREASES WERE ALSO RECORDED IN THE FOLLOWING IMPORTS FROM CHINA: TEXTILES (BY $755 MILLION OR 46%), PETROLEUM AND RELATED PRODUCTS (BY $580 MILLION OR 96%), CLOTHING (BY $318 MILLION OR 67%) AND FISH, CRUSTACEANS AND MOLLUSCS (BY $145 MILLION OR 46%).

IMPORTS FROM THE U.S. ALSO WENT UP SIGNIFICANTLY, PARTICULARLY IN ARTIFICIAL RESINS AND PLASTIC MATERIALS, AND CELLULOSE ESTERS AND ETHERS (BY $327 MILLION OR 177%), OFFICE MACHINES AND AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT BY $290 MILLION OR 59%), ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (BY $234 MILLION OR 46%), AND PEARLS, PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES (BY $116 MILLION OR 19%).

THE FOLLOWING