XN000022-1981-03-27 — Page 4

FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 1981

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GROWTH IN AIRBORNE TRADE

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AIRBORNE MERCHANDISE TRADE IN 1980 WAS VALUED AT $46 177 MILLION, REPRESENTING AN INCREASE OF 26 PER CENT OVER 1979.

AIRBORNE DOMESTIC EXPORTS WERE VALUED AT $17 091 MILLION (UP 26 PER CENT), IMPORTS AT $20 846 MILLION (UP 23 PER CENT), AND RE-EXPORTS AT $8 240 MILLION (UP 36 PER CENT).

FOR THE YEAR AS A WHOLE, 25 PER CENT OF THE VALUE OF TOTAL DOMESTIC EXPORTS, 19 PER CENT OF TOTAL IMPORTS AND 27 PER CENT OF TOTAL RE-EXPORTS WERE DESPATCHED BY AIR.

SUMMARY TRADE STATISTICS ON AIRBORNE MERCHANDISE TRADE FOR 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:

INCREASE/DECREASE PERCENTAGE

CHANGE

1980 (HK$ MK.)

1979 (HK$ MN.)

(HK$ MN.)

USA

6 703

5 631

+1 072

+19

F.R. OF GERMANY 1 972

1 609

362

+23

UK

1 516

975

541

+55

JAPAN

920

1 039

119

-11

SWITZERLAND

541

397

144

+36

FRANCE

522

317

204

+64

BY COMMODITY, INCREASES IN AIRBORNE DOMESTIC EXPORTS WERE REGISTERED MAINLY IN WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $1 769 MILLION OR 46 PER CENT), CLOTHING (BY $612 MILLION OR 14 PER CENT), AS WELL AS CONCENTRATES OF PRECIOUS METALS, WASTE SCRAP AND SWEEPINGS OF PRECIOUS METALS (OTHER THAN GOLD) (BY $312 MILLION OR 1 174 PER CENT).

HOWEVER, DECLINES WERE NOTED FOR BABY CARRIAGES, TOYS, GAMES AND SPORTING GOODS (BY $102 MILLION OR 20 PER CENT), AS WELL AS PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT (BY $72 MILLION OR 35 PER CENT),

FURTHER ANALYSIS OF COMMODITY BY COUNTRY REVEALED SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN AIRBORNE DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF WATCHES AND CLOCKS TO THE USA (BY $525 MILLION OR 58 PER CENT), THE F.R. OF GERMANY (BY $138 MILLION OR 32 PER CENT) AND FRANCE (BY $126 MILLION OR 84 PER CENT)- AND OF CLOTHING TO THE F.R. OF GERMANY (BY $200 MILLION OR 25 PER CENT), THE USA (BY $173 MILLION OR 9 PER CENT) AND THE UK (BY $147 MILLION OR 47 PER CENT).

ON THE OTHER HAND, AIRBORNE DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF CLOTHING TO JAPAN DECLINED (BY $70 MILLION OR 15 PER CENT).

AIRBORNE IMPORTS