XN000022-1981-09-18 — Page 2

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1981

HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE FOR JANUARY-JULY 1981

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TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE FOR JANUARY TO JULY 1981, VALUED AT $143 791 MILLION, SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 26 PER CENT, AS COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1980.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS ROSE BY 15 PER CENT TO $42 956 MILLION, IMPORTS BY 27 PER CENT TO $77 922 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS BY 46 PER CENT TO $22 913 MILLION. DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS TOGETHER SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 25 PER CENT,

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

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

INCREASE/

-

JAN JULY 81 JAN

(HK$ MN.)

DECREASE JULY 80 (HK$ MN.) (HK$ MN.)

PERCENTAGE

CHANGE

US A

15 314

12 603

+2 711

+22

UK

4 097

3 656

441

+12

F.R. OF GERMANY

3 901

4 074

173

JAPAN

1 488

1 219

+

269

+22

CHINA

1 402

802

600

+75

AUSTRALIA

1 321

1 064

257

+24

CANADA

1 229

937

292

+31

SINGAPORE

953

981

28

3

NETHERLANDS

866

884

18

2

FRANCE

810

726

84

+12

DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE US CONTINUED TO GROW. SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN CLOTHING (BY $1 144 MILLION OR 25 PER CENT), ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS AND PARTS FOR COMPUTERS (BY $694 MILLION OR 123 PER CENT), ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (BY $523 MILLION OR 45 PER CENT) AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $171 MILLION OR 21 PER CENT). ON THE OTHER HAND, DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF OFF ICE MACHINES DECLINED (BY $65 MILLION OR 42 PER CENT).

INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE UK OF CLOTHING (BY $150 MILLION OR 9 PER CENT), PLASTIC TOYS AND DOLLS (BY $125 MILLION OR 69 PER CENT), AS WELL AS ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (BY $81 MILLION OR 52 PER CENT).

/AS FOR