XN000022-1980-03-20 — Page 4

3

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1980

THE CHANGES IN IMPORTS FROM 10 MAJOR SOURCES ARE SUMMARISED

AS FOLLOWS -

CHINA

JAPAN

USA

SINGAPORE

TAIWAN

UK

SOUTH KOREA

WEST GERMANY

SWITZERLAND

FRANCE

1 600

636

JANUARY 80

(HK$ MN.)

JANUARY 79 (HK$ MN.)

INCREASE (HK$ MN.)

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

1 636

977

1 008

873

+ 659 + 592 + 237

67

59

291

265

177

129

321 424 266 195. 195

172

91

+ 37 + 117 +37

64

49

70

5

38

36

3

42

697

582

TH

436

+ 376 +158 + 170 96

REMARKABLE INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN IMPORTS FROM JAPAN, PARTICULARLY OF ROAD VEHICLES (BY $71 MILLION OR 90 PER CENT), WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $62 MILLION OR 81 PER CENT), TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODÚČING APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT (BY $63 MILLION OR 70 PER CENT) AS WELL AS IRON AND STEEL (BY $46 MILLION OR 67 PER CENT).

IMPORTS FROM CHINA ALSO ROSE TREMENDOUSLY, MAINLY IN PETROLEUM AND RELATED PRODUCTS (BY $125 MILLION OR 142 PER CENT), TEXTILES (BY $93 MILLION OR 46 PER CENT) AND CLOTHING (BY $78 MILLION OR 204 PER CENT).

INCREASES IN IMPORTS FROM USA WERE ATTRIBUTED LARGELY TO THE BIGGER DEMAND FOR ARTIFICIAL RESINS AND PLASTIC MATERIALS, AND CELLULOSE ESTERS AND ETHERS (BY $59 MILLION OR 210 PER CENT), OFFICE MACHINES AND AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT (BY) $39 MILLION OR 77 PER CENT), AND ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (BY $27 MILLION OR 55 PER CENT).

SIGNIFICANT INCREASES WERE ALSO REGISTERED IN IMPORTS OF PETROLEUM AND RELATED PRODUCTS (BY $313 MILLION OR 173 PER CENT) FROM SINGAPORE AND ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (BY $29 MILLION OR 84 PER CENT) FROM TAÍWAN.

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

JANUARY 80 (HK$ MN.)

JANUARY 79 (HK$ MN.)

INCREASE (HK$ MN.)

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

MANUFACTURED GOODS

CLASSIFIED CHIEFLY

BY MATERIAL (MAINLY

TEXTILE PRODUCTS

AND DIAMONDS)

2 351

1 671

+ 680

41

MACHINERY AND

TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT

1 672

1 118

+ 554

50

/MISCELLANEOUS