XN000022-1981-07-15 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 1981

HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE FOR JANUARY-MAY 1981

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TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE FOR JANUARY TO MAY 1981, VALUED AT $99 247 MILLION, SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 25 PER CENT, AS COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1980, THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

DOMESTIC EXPORTS ROSE BY 15 PER CENT TO $28 778 MILLION, IMPORTS BY 26 PER CENT TO $54 199 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS BY 50 PER CENT TO $16 271 MILLION.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS TOGETHER SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 25 PER CENT.

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

INCREASE/

JAN - MAY 81

(HK$ MN.)

JAN MAY 80

(HK$ MN.)

DECREASE (HK$ MN.)

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

U.S.A.

9 976

8 267

+1 709

+21

U.K.

2 754

2 500

254

+10

F.R. OF GERMANY

2 632

2 743

111

JAPAN

1 020

865

155

+18

CHINA

944

557

387

+69

AUSTRALIA

864

746

118

+16

CANADA

786

608

178

+29

SINGAPORE

663

679

16

2

NETHERLANDS

598

611

13

2

FRANCE

579

510

69

+13

DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE US CONTINUED TO GROW.

SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN CLOTHING (BY $787 MILLION OR 27 PER CENT), ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS AND PARTS FOR COMPUTERS (BY $523 MILLION OR 135 PER CENT), ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (BY $339 MILLION OR 45 PER CENT) AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $129 MILLION OR 23 PER CENT). ON THE OTHER HAND, DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF PLASTIC TOYS AND DOLLS AND OFFICE MACHINES DECLINED (BY $30 MILLION OR FIVE PER CENT, AND BY $52 MILLION OR 47 PER CENT, RESPECTIVELY).

/INCREASES WERE