XN000022-1981-05-31 — Page 5

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SUNDAY, MAY 31, 1981

PRICE CHANGES AND TRADE VOLUME MOVEMENTS, MARCH 1981

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ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY (SUNDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT, THE PRICES OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND IMPORTS ROSE BY 8 PER CENT AND 10 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN MARCH 1981 COMPARED WITH MARCH 1980.

AS A RESULT, THE TERMS OF TRADE INDEX (EXPRESSED AS A RATIO OF THE DOMESTIC EXPORT PRICE INDEX TO THE IMPORT PRICE INDEX) DECLINED BY 2 PER CENT. A LARGER INCREASE IN VOLUME WAS REGISTERED FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS (+17%) THAN FOR IMPORTS (+15%). THE PRICES OF RE-EXPORTS INCREASED BY 9 PER CENT, WITH VOLUME UP BY 38 PER CENT, SO THAT FOR TOTAL EXPORTS, PRICES ROSE BY 8 PER CENT AND VOLUME ROSE BY 20 PER CENT.

PRICES ARE BASED ON UNIT VALUES WHICH DO NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT CHANGES IN THE COMPOSITION OR QUALITY OF GOODS TRADED. CHANGES IN THE VOLUME OF TRADE ARE DERIVED FROM CHANGES IN TRADE VALUES, AFTER DISCOUNTING THE EFFECT OF PRICE CHANGES.

THE CHANGES IN THE VALUE, UNIT VALUE AND VOLUME OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS BY COMMODITY GROUP ARE SHOWN BELOW:

CHANGES COMPARING MARCH 1981 WITH MARCH 1980

EXPORT

EXPORT UNIT

EXPORT

VALUE

VALUE

VOLUME

CLOTHING (EXCEPT FUR)

+38%

+ 8%

+29%

TEXTILE FABRICS

+22%

+ 49%

+18%

TEXTILE YARN AND THREAD

9

+ 7%

-15%

TEXTILE MADE-UPS AND

RELATED ARTICLES

+14%

+13%

+ 1%

ALL TRANSISTORIZED RADIOS

-

1%

+ 8%

9%

ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

FOOTWEAR

METAL MANUFACTURES

METAL ORES AND SCRAP

+46%

WATCHES AND CLOCKS

+29%

ALL COMMOD IT IES

+26%

+61%

+17%

+38%

+£46

-

1%

+45%

- 1%

+10%

-10%

2%

+49%

-

59%

+ 8%

+36%

+179

THE EXPOPT PRICES OF MOST COMMODITY GROUPS INCREASED, FROM 4 PER CENT FOR TEXTILE FABRICS TO 17 PER CENT FOR ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE EXPORT PRICES OF FOOTWEAR. METAL ORES AND SCRAP, AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS DECLINED BY 1 PER CENT, 2 PER CENT AND 5 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

FI

/CONSIDERABLE GROWTH .....