XN000022-1981-08-02 — Page 3

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THE EXPORT PRICES OF MOST COMMODITY GROUPS INCREASED, FROM 4 PER CENT FOR TEXTILE FABRICS TO 20 PER CENT FOR ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE EXPORT PRICES OF FOOTWEAR, METAL ORES AND SCRAP, AS WELL AS WATCHES AND CLOCKS FELL BY 1 PER CENT, 2 PER CENT AND 5 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

CONSIDERABLE GROWTH IN THE VOLUME OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS WAS RECORDED FOR FOOTWEAR (+39%) AND ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS (+33%). HOWEVER, SIGNIFICANT DECLINES WERE REGISTERED IN THE EXPORT VOLUME OF METAL ORES AND SCRAP (-41%).

THE CHANGES IN THE VALUE, UNIT VALUE AND VOLUME OF IMPORTS BY END-USE CATEGORY ARE SHOWN BELOW:

CHANGES COMPARING MAY 1981 WITH MAY 1980

IMPORT

VALUE

IMPORT UNIT VALUE

IMPORT

VOLUME

FOODSTUFFS

+29%

+18%

+10%

CONSUMER GOODS

+35%

+ 5%

+28%

FUELS

+89%

+37%

+38%

RAW MATERIALS AND

SEMI-MANUFACTURES

+14%

+ 9%

+ 496

CAPITAL GOODS

+13%

+10%

+ 39%

ALL COMMODITIES

+24%

+11%

+12%

WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FUELS, THE PRICES OF WHICH JUMPED BY 37 PER CENT, THE PRICES OF IMPORTS BY END-USE CATEGORY INCREASED MODERATELY, RANGING FROM 5 PER CENT FOR CONSUMER GOODS TO 18 PER CENT FOR FOODSTUFFS.

ONLY SOME MAJOR IMPORTED FOODSTUFFS ROSE IN VOLUME TERMS, THE MORE SIGNIFICANT ONES BEING LIVE POULTRY, SOYA BEAN OIL, PEANUT OIL AND LARD, AND VEGETABLES. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE IMPORT VOLUME OF SWINE AND CATTLE DECLINED.

IN THE CONSUMER GOODS CATEGORY, SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN IMPORT VOLUME WERE REGISTERED FOR RADIOS, TELEVISION SETS, GRAMOPHONES, RECORDS AND TAPE RECORDERS, CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR. THE IMPORT VOLUME OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, TOBACCO MANUFACTURES AND PASSENGER MOTOR CARS DECLINED.

IMPORTS OF FUELS INCREASED BY 38 PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS.

THE IMPORT VOLUME OF VARIOUS KINDS OF RAW MATERIALS AND SEMI-MANUFACTURES SHOWED A MIXED TREND. WHEREAS PURCHASES OF FABRICS OF MAN-MADE FIBRES, AND WOOL AND OTHER ANIMAL HAIR ROSE SUBSTANTIALLY, DEMAND FOR PLASTIC MOULDING MATERIALS AND RAW COTTON DECLINED.

AS FOR CAPITAL GOODS, MAJOR INCREASES IN IMPORT VOLUME WERE RECORDED FOR SCIENTIFIC, MEDICAL, OPTICAL, MEASURING AND CONTROLLING INSTRUMENTS AND APPARATUS, AND OFFICE MACHINES, WHEREAS THE IMPORT VOLUME OF TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT DECLINED.

/THE CHANGES