XN000022-1980-03-20 — Page 2

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1980

HK'S EXTERNAL TRADE IN JANUARY

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THE VALUE OF HONG KONG'S DOMESTIC EXPORTS IN JANUARY 1980 ROSE BY 31 PER CENT TO $4.997 MILLION, RE-EXPORTS BY 56 PER CENT TO $2 047 MILLION AND IMPORTS BY 52′ PER CENT TO $8 132 MILLION.

ACCORDING TO EXTERNAL TRADE FIGURES RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (THURSDAY) THE TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE VALUE FOR THE MONTH AMOUNTED TO $15 176 MILLION, UP 45 PER CENT OVER JANUARY 1979.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS TOGETHER SHOWED AN INCREASE IN VALUE OF 37 PER CENT.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO 10 MAJOR OVERSEAS MARKETS ARE AS FOLLOWS:-

INCREASE/ PERCENTAGE DECREASE

JANUARY 80

(HK$ MN.)

JANUARY 79

(HK$ MN.)

(HK$ MN.)

CHANGE

U.S.A.

1 515

1 237

+ 278

22

WEST GERMANY

635

470

+ 165

35

UK

528

448

+ 80

18

AUSTRALIA

183

155

28

18

JAPAN

SINGAPORE

CANADA

CHINA

181

186

5

3

NETHERLANDS

135

99

36

36

132

100

32

32

119

112

7

6

109

17

92

+ 541

FRANCE

95

62

33

53

INCREASES IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO USA WERE REGISTERED MAINLY IN CLOTHING (BY $67 MILLION OR 15 PER CENT), ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (BY $46 MILLION OR 50 PER CENT), OFFICE MACHINES AND AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT (BY $36 MILLION OR 52 PER CENT) AS WELL AS TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT (BY $31 MILLION OR 45 PER CENT). ON THE OTHER HAND, THE DEMAND FOR PLASTIC PRODUCTS CONTINUED TO DECLINE. EXPORTS OF PLASTIC TOYS AND DOLLS DECREASED BY $0.1 MILLION OR 0.1 PER CENT AND PLASTIC ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS, BY $2 MILLION OR EIGHT PER CENT.

SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO WEST GERMANY WERE ATTRIBUTED LARGELY TO THE ACTIVE DEMAND FOR CLOTHING (BY $93 MILLION OR 33 PER CENT), WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $20 MILLION OR 77 PER CENT) AS WELL AS TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT (BY $17 MILLION OR 35 PER CENT).

THE GROWTH IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO UK WAS MODERATE. MORE SIGNIFICANT INCREASES WERE RECORDED FOR CLOTHING (BY $39 MILLION OR 15 PER CENT) AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT (BY $20 MILLION OR 89 PER CENT). HOWEVER, A DECLINE WAS REGISTERED IN EXPORTS OF TEXTILES (BY $3 MILLION OR TWO PER CENT).

/DOMESTIC EXPORTS