XN000022-1981-03-27 — Page 5

FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 1981

4

AIRBORNE IMPORTS FROM THE SIX MAJOR SUPPLIERS ARE SHOWN

BELOW I

1980

(HK$ MN.)

1979 (HK$ MN.)

INCREASE/DECREASE PERCENTAGE

(HK$ MN.)

CHANGE

USA

4 722

3 386

+1 336

+39

JAPAN

4 661

3 586

+1 075

+30

SWITZERLAND

2 186

1 881

305

+16

UK

1 012

998

14

+1

TA IWAN

981

736

246

+33

JSRAEL

975

900

75

+ 8

INCREASES WERE REGISTERED IN AIRBORNE IMPORTS OF WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $1 456 MILLION OR 36 PER CENT), AIRCRAFT AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT (BY $501 MILLION OR 116 PER CENT), AS WELL AS THERMIONIC, COLD CATHODE AND PHOTO-CATHODE VALVES AND TUBES, PHOTOCELLS AND TRANSISTORS (BY $401 MILLION OR 15 PER CENT).

IN CONTRAST, DECREASES WERE NOTED IN THE SUPPLY, BY AIR, OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES (BY $155 MILLION OR 81 PER CENT), AS WELL AS PEARLS, PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES (BY $111 MILLION OR 5 PER CENT).

GROWTH WAS RECORDED IN AIRBORNE IMPORTS OF WATCHES AND CLOCKS FROM JAPAN (BY $507 MILLION OR 32 PER CENT) AND SWITZERLAND (BY $238 MILLION OR 17 PER CENT). THE USA WAS THE LARGEST SUPPLIER OF AIRCRAFT AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT, SHOWING AN INCREASE OF $561 MILLION OR 177 PER CENT.

GROWTH WAS ALSO RECORDED IN AIRBORNE IMPORTS OF THERMIONIC, COLD CATHODE AND PHOTO-CATHODE VALVES AND TUBES, PHOTOCELLS AND TRANSISTORS FROM JAPAN (BY $83 MILLION OR 14 PER CENT), REPUBLIC OF KOREA (BY $65 MILLION OR 16 PER CENT) AND THE USA (BY $33 MILLION OR 5 PER CENT).

ABOUT 48 PER CENT OF THE VALUE OF THE AIRBORNE IMPORTS OF PEARLS, PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES WERE FROM ISRAEL, REPRESENTING AN INCREASE OF $74 MILLION OR 8 PER CENT.

AIRBORNE RE-EXPORTS CONTINUED TO GROW IN 1980, MAJOR RE- EXPORT ITEMS WITH SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES WERE WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $767 MILLION OR 68 PER CENT), SILVER, PLATINUM AND OTHER METALS OF THE PLATINUM GROUP (BY $149 MILLION OR 133 PER CENT), AS WELL AS THE THERMIONIC, COLD CATHODE AND PHOTO-CATHODE VALVES AND TUBES, PHOTOCELLS AND TRANSISTORS (BY $145 MILLION OR 17 PER CENT).

FOLLOWING THE SAME TREND AS AIRBORNE IMPORTS, AIRBORNE RE- EXPORTS OF PEARLS, PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES DECLINED (BY $250 MILLION OR 18 PER CENT).

/THE USA