XN000022-1981-04-17 — Page 2

FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1981

EXTERNAL TRADE FOR JANUARY FEBRUARY 1981

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TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE FOR JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 1981, VALUED AT $36 259 MILLION, SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 28 PER CENT, AS COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1980.

ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED TODAY (FRIDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT, DOMESTIC EXPORTS ROSE BY 13 PER CENT TO $10 284 MILLION, IMPORTS BY 30 PER CENT TO $19 775 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS BY 62 PER CENT TO $6 200 MILLION. DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS TOGETHER SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 27 PER CENT.

THE CHANGES IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE TEN MAJOR OVERSEAS MARKETS WERE AS FOLLOWS:

-

JAN FEB 81 JAN FEB 80

(HK$ MN)

INCREASE/ DECREASE

(HK$ MN)

(HK$ MN)

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

U.5.4.

3 490

2 856

+634

+22

F.R. OF GERMANY

1 058

1 133

· 76

- 7

UK

878

946

68

- 7

CHINA

365

187

+178

+95

AUSTRALIA

355

318

+ 36

+11

JAPAN

340

315

+ 25

CANADA

274

225

+ 50

+22

NETHERLANDS

240

241

1 LESS THAN 0.5%

SINGAPORE

236

235

NIGERIA

228

133

1

+96

+ 1

+72

DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE U.S. CONTINUED TO GROW. SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN CLOTHING (BY $432 MILLION OR 43%), ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS AND PARTS FOR COMPUTERS (BY $168 MILLION OR 129%), ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (BY $93 MILLION OR 39%) AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $60 MILLION OR 36%). ON THE OTHER HAND, DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF PLASTIC TOYS AND DOLLS DECLINED (BY $42 MILLION OR 22).

DECREASES WERE REGISTERED IN MOST OF THE MAJOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE F.R. OF GERMANY, INCLUDING TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT (BY $30 MILLION OR 27%), WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY 7 MILLION OR 9%) AND CLOTHING (BY $4 MILLION OR 1%).

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