XN000022-1981-08-17 — Page 2

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MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 1981

HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE FOR JANUARY-JUNE 1981

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TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE FOR JANUARY TO JUNE 1981, VALUED AT $120 761 MILLION, SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 25 PER CENT, ÁS COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1980.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS ROSE BY 14 PER CENT TO $35 604 MILLION, IMPORTS BY 26 PER CENT TO $65 620 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS BY 48 PER CENT TO $19 536 MILLION.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS TOGETHER SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 24 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 :-

INCREASE/

JAN-JUNE 81 JAN-JUNE 80

(HK$M)

DECREASE

(HK$M)

(HK$M)

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

USA

12 554

10 414

+2 140

+21

UK

3 394

3 128

266

FR OF GERMANY

3 223

3 391

-

168

- 5

JAPAN

1 246

1 036

210

+20

CHINA

1 177

680

497

+73

AUSTRAL JA

1 076

895

181

+20

CANADA

993

762

231

+30

SINGAPORE

802

828

26

3

NETHERLANDS

724

737

13

2

FRANCE

699

621

78

+13

J

DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE US CONTINUED TO GROW. SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN CLOTHING (BY $917 MILLION OR 24%), ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS AND PARTS FOR COMPUTERS (BY $631 MILLION OR 131%), ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (BY $427 MILLION OR 45%) AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $134 MILLION OR 19%). ON THE OTHER HAND, DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF OFFICE MACHINES DECLINED (BY $60 MILLION OR 46%).

INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE UK OF CLOTHING (BY $97 MILLION OR 6%), PLASTIC TOYS AND DOLLS (BY $81 MILLION OR 59%), AS WELL AS ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (BY $65 MILLION OR 51%).

/AS FOR