XN000022-1980-12-02 — Page 5

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1980

THE CIVIL AID SERVICES CYCLING TEAM WILL DISPLAY THEIR SKILLS WHILE MEMBERS OF THE ST JOHN AMBULANCE BRIGADE WILL TAKE PART IN A PARADE.

ABOUT 3 000 LOCAL RESIDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND THE FUNCTION. FREE ADMISSION TICKETS CAN BE OBTAINED AT THE CITY DISTRICT OFFICE (KWUN TONG) AND ITS SUB-OFFICE,

NOTE TO EDITORS:

MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES ARE INVITED TO HAVE BOTH EVENTS COVERED, SIR JACK CATER WILL OPEN THE EXHIBITION AT THE MTR KWUN TONG STATION AT 11 AM ON SATURDAY (DECEMBER 6), WHILE MR BARNES WILL OFFICIATE AT THE OPENING OF +KWUN TONG TODAY+ AT THE KWUN TONG RECREATION GROUND AT 2 PM ON SUNDAY (DECEMBER 7).

ANALYSIS OF EXTERNAL TRADE STATISTICS

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EXTERNAL TRADE STATISTICS ANALYSED BY INDUSTRIAL ORIGIN SHOWED THAT FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1980, THE SIX MOST IMPORTANT INDUSTRY GROUPS WERE WEARING APPAREL, ELÈCTRICAL APPLIANCES, TEXTILES, PROFESSIONAL AND OPTICAL EQUIPMENT, PLASTIC PRODUCTS, AND METAL PRODUCTS.

THEY TOGETHER ACCOUNTED FOR 87 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS IN THE THREE MONTHS.

THIS SERIES OF STATISTICS IS DERIVED BY RE-GROUPING ALL SIX-DIGIT COMMODITY ITEMS UNDER THE PRESENT EXTERNAL TRADE CLASS IF ICATION SYSTEM, ACCORDING TO THE INDUSTRIES IN WHICH THESE COMMODITY ITEMS ARE NORMALLY PRODUCED.

THE LARGEST INCREASES IN ABSOLUTE VALUES OVER THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1979 OCCURRED IN ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES ($603 MILLION), PROFESSIONAL AND OPTICAL EQUIPMENT ($516 MILLION), TEXTILES ($466 MILLION), METAL PRODUCTS ($302 MILLION), WEARING APPAREL ($239 MILLION), AND PLASTIC PRODUCTS ($166 MILLION).

IN PERCENTAGE TERMS, THE HIGHEST INCREASES WERE TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT (147%), TOBACCO (57%), NON-METALLIC MINERAL PRODUCTS (44%), BEVERAGES (43%) PROFESSIONAL AND OPTICAL EQUIPMENT (35%), AND METAL PRODUCTS (33%).

CONCURRENTLY, DECREASES IN THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS WERE RECORDED IN SEVERAL INDUSTRY GROUPS, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ONES BEING FOOD PRODUCTS (-820 MILLION) IN ABSOLUTE VALUES, AND MINING AND QUARRYING (-67%) AS WELL AS OCEAN AND COASTAL FISHING (-11%) IN PERCENTAGE TERMS.

FOR IMPORTS, PRODUCTS OF THE TEXTILES, ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES, PETROLEUM AND COAL, METALS, CHEMICALS, PROFESSIONAL AND OPTICAL EQUIPMENT, AND FOOD INDUSTRIES TOGETHER TOOK UP 64 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL VALUE OF IMPORTS IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1980.

/INCREASES IN

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