XN000022-1981-09-14 — Page 5

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AIRBORNE IMPORTS FROM THE SIX MAJOR SUPPLIERS ARE SHOWN BELOW 1-

JAN

JUNE 1981 JAN JUNE 1980 (HK$ MN.)

PERCENTAGE

(HK$ MN.)

INCREASE (HK$ MN.)

CHANGE

JAPAN

2 803

2 025

+778

+38

USA

2 438

2 012

+426

+21

SWITZERLAND

1 122

1 007

+115

+11

UK

673

438

+235

+54

TAIWAN

633

441

+192

+44

REP. OF KOREA

599

395

+204

+52

INCREASES WERE REGISTERED IN AIRBORNE IMPORTS OF WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $1 124 MILLION OR 47%), PEARLS, PRECIOUS AND SEMI- PRECIOUS STONES (BY $262 MILLION OR 31%), AS WELL AS THERMIONIC, COLD CATHODE AND PHOTO-CATHODE VALVES AND TUBES, PHOTOCELLS AND TRANSISTORS (BY $178 MILLION OR 12 %). IN CONTRAST, DECREASES WERE NOTED IN THE SUPPLY, BY AIR, OF OFFICE MACHINES (BY $45 MILLION OR 68%), AS WELL AS OTHER INORGANIC CHEMICALS AND COMPOUNDS OF PRECIOUS METALS (BY $56 MILLION OR 26%).

GROWTH WAS RECORDED IN AIRBORNE IMPORTS OF WATCHES AND CLOCKS FROM JAPAN (BY $569 MILLION OR 64%) AND THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA (BY $179 MILLION OR 143%).

AMONG THE SIX MAJOR SUPPLIERS, THE US WAS THE LARGEST SUPPLIER, BY AIR, OF PEARLS, PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES, SHOWING AN INCREASE OF $43 MILLION OR 56%.

GROWTH WAS ALSO RECORDED IN AIRBORNE IMPORTS OF THERMIONIC, COLD CATHODE AND PHOTO-CATHODE VALVES AND TUBES, PHOTOCELLS AND TRANSISTORS FROM JAPAN (BY $31 MILLION OR 10%), AND THE US (BY $31 MILLION OR 8%).

AIRBORNE RE-EXPORTS CONTINUED TO GROW IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1981. MAJOR RE-EXPORT ITEMS WITH SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES WERE CONCENTRATES, WASTE, SCRAP AND SWEEPINGS OF PRECIOUS METALS (OTHER THAN OF GOLD) (BY $273 MILLION OR 215%), THERMIONIC, COLD CATHODE AND PHOTO-CATHODE VALVES AND TUBES, PHOTOCELLS AND TRANSISTORS (BY $254 MILLION OR 52%), AS WELL AS WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $131 MILLION OR 15%).

ON THE OTHER HAND, AIRBORNE RE-EXPORTS OF SILVER, PLATINUM AND OTHER METALS OF THE PLATINUM GROUP DECLINED SUBSTANTIALLY (BY $180 MILLION OR 82%).

THE US WAS THE LARGEST MARKET FOR HONG KONG'S AIRBORNE RE-EXPORTS, WITH A VALUE OF $623 MILLION (AN INCREASE OF $233 MILLION OR 60%). INCREASES WERE ALSO REGISTERED IN AIRBORNE RE-EXPORTS TO CHINA (BY $188 MILLION OR 297%), TAIWAN (BY $136 MILLION OR 28%), SINGAPORE (BY $118 MILLION OR 26 %), ISRAEL (BY $99 MILLION OR 135%) AND THE UK (BY $98 MILLION OR 34%). AIRBORNE RE-EXPORTS TO JAPAN CONTINUED TO DECLINE (BY $88 MILLION OR 15%).

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