XN000022-1980-08-30 — Page 2

SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 1980

AIRBORNE MERCHANDISE TRADE JANUARY JUNE

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AIRBORNE MERCHANDISE TRADE IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1980 WAS VALUED AT $19 999 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF 26 PER CENT AS COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1979. AIRBORNE DOMESTIC EXPORTS WERE VALUED AT $7 120 MILLION (UP 30%), AIRBORNE IMPORTS AT $9 225 MILLION (UP 23%), AND RE-EXPORTS AT $3 654 MILLION (UP 29%).

IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR, 23 PER CENT OF TOTAL DOMESTIC EXPORTS, 18 PER CENT OF TOTAL IMPORTS AND 28 PER CENT OF TOTAL RE-EXPORTS WERE DESPATCHED BY AIR.

THESE AND OTHER STATISTICS ON AIRBORNE MERCHANDISE TRADE FOR JANUARY TO JUNE, 1980 WERE RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY.

THE FOLLOWING TABLE ILLUSTRATES THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF THE SIX MAJOR MARKETS FOR HONG KONG'S AIRBORNE DOMESTIC EXPORTS:

JAN-JUNE 80

(HK$ M.)

JAN-JUNE 79

(HK$ M.)

INCREASE/DECREASE (HK$ M.)

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

USA

2 740

2 168

+ 572

+ 26

F.R. OF GERMANY

841

664

+ 177

+ 27

UK

616

403

+ 213

+ 53

JAPAN

373

477

104

22

SWITZERLAND

245

160

85

+ 53

FRANCE

211

127

84

+ 66

BY COMMODITY, INCREASES IN AIRBORNE DOMESTIC EXPORTS WERE REGISTERED MAINLY IN WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $850 MILLION OR 57%), CLOTHING (BY $164 MILLION OR 9%), AS WELL AS THERMIONIC, COLD CATHODE AND PHOTO-CATHODE VALVES AND TUBES PHOTO-CELLS AND TRANSISTORS (BY $163 MILLION OR 31%). HOWEVER, A DROP WAS NOTED FOR BABY CARRIAGES, TOYS, GAMES AND SPORTING GOODS (BY $24 MILLION OR 16%).

FURTHER ANALYSIS OF COMMODITY BY COUNTRY REVEALED SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN AIRBORNE DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF WATCHES AND CLOCKS TO THE F.R. OF GERMANY (BY $72 MILLION OR 45%), FRANCE (BY $69 MILLION OR 125%), AND THE UK (BY $18 MILLION OR 13%)- AND IN AIRBORNE DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF CLOTHING TO USA (BY $69 MILLION OR 9%), THE F.R. OF GERMANY (BY $67 MILLION OR 19%), AND THE UK (BY $47 MILLION OR 33%).

/AIRBORNE IMPORTS