XN000022-1981-06-16 — Page 2

TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 1981

HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE FOR JANUARY-APRIL

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TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE FOR JANUARY TO APRIL 1981, VALUED AT $77 222 MILLION, SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 26 PER CENT, AS COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1980.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS ROSE BY 15 PER CENT TO $21 904 MILLION, IMPORTS BY 26 PER CENT TO $42 468 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS BY 54 PER CENT TO $12 850 MILLION.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS TOGETHER SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 27 PER CENT.

THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT RELEASED TODAY THE RELEVANT DETAILED TRADE STATISTICS.

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

INCREASE/

JAN-APR 81 (HK$ MN.)

JAN-APR 80 (HK$ MN.)

DECREASE (HK$ MN.)

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

USA

7 390

6 151

+1 239

+20

UK

2 102

1 945

157

FR OF GERMANY

2 061

2 155

94

JAPAN

776

680

96

+14

CHINA

731

429

302

+70

AUSTRALIA

695

588

107

+18

CANADA

585

469

116

+25

SINGAPORE

513

520

7

1

NETHERLANDS FRANCE

479

481

2

INSIGNIFICANT

442

379

63

+17

DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE U.S. CONTINUED TO GROW. SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN CLOTHING (BY $652 MILLION OR 31 PER CENT), ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS AND PARTS FOR COMPUTERS (BY $363 MI! ON OR 121 PER CENT), ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (BY $244 MILLION OR 44 PER CENT) AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $107 MILLION OR 26 PER CENT).

ON THE OTHER HAND, DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF PLASTIC TOYS AND DOLLS AND OFFICE MACHINES DECLINED (BY $47 MILLION OR 11 PER CENT, AND BY $46 MILLION OR 50 PER CENT, RESPECTIVELY).

INCREASES WERE NOTED IN THE DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE U.K. OF ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (BY $47 MILLION OR 62 PER CENT), CLOTHING (BY $43 MILLION OR 4 PER CENT), AS WELL AS PLASTIC TOYS AND DOLLS (BY $18 MILLION OR 22 PER CENT).

AS FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE FR OF GERMANY, INCREASES WERE REGISTERED IN CLOTHING (BY $25 MILLION OR 2 PER CENT) AND ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (BY $9 MILLION OR 11 PER CENT). ON THE OTHER HAND, THE DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF WATCHES AND CLOCKS, AS WELL AS TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT DECLINED (BY $21 MILLION OR 12 PER CENT, AND BY $51 MILLION OR 22 PER CENT, RESPECTIVELY),

/SIGNIFICANT INCREASES